Archives for September 2007

The Daily Loper – September 7, 2007

September 7, 2007 by Lopy

I’m Sorry That You’re Mad At Me Edition

Todays links of interest:

Author Madeleine L’Engle Dies at 88
Rest in peace.
The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME
Compiled by James Poniewozik of Time Magazine, whose blog is a regular read here, and — unlike the list that Time did with the 100 albums — it’s so filled with undeniably great shows that we can only bow to it in amazement.
Led Zeppelin are definitely reforming says Robert Plant
Speaking of science fiction. Here’s how this would totally: when Detective Sam Tyler (from "Life on Mars," silly) was transported to 1974, the law of conservation of energy meant that — at the same time — John Bonham was transported to our era. That would work. Now, if they could just figure out out to de-jowl Jimmy Page.

That’s What I Like: Debunking Urban Legends

September 7, 2007 by Tyson

Today’s missive will be necessarily brief as I am simultaneously running an international conference, an exhibition, a concert, and a reception this evening at USC. As I was standing in the shower thinking last night about what to write, I remembered how my dear aunt Kathy sent me an email a few weeks ago that promised, get this, that if I used a new beta version of a Microsoft-AOL email program, Bill Gates would pay me a nice little chunk o’ money. XANADU! Where do I sign up?

The Daily Loper – September 6, 2007

September 6, 2007 by Lopy

I’m A Psychopath With Superpowers, And You’re My Girl! Edition

Todays links of interest:

Apple – To all iPhone customers
However, mass whinging has its benefits!!
Please stop whining, iPhone early adopters
We always knew that there was a price to be paid for being early adopters. Turns out that price is 0.
Lulu Enterprises Files Suit Against Hulu for Trademark Infringement
Seriously, the world could take lessons from the Lulu.com promotions people.

Apple Scruffs: New iPods & the Universal Dust-Up

September 6, 2007 by Jim Connelly

It’s pretty much Apple week here at Medialoper, and why not? So I figured that I’d add my perspective on the new iPods, as well as the Universal’s wholesale abandonment of iTunes for Amazon’s Unbox.

Everybody I know seemed to be keeping at one browser tab open on the press conference yesterday, and until the drastic price drop of the iPhone, it pretty much went the way that most people had predicted beforehand. Without going into any deep analysis of What It All Means, here are some of my thoughts.

The Daily Loper – September 5, 2007

September 5, 2007 by Lopy

30% More Unpredictable Edition

Todays links of interest:

FEC Won’t Regulate Political Blogging
Sort of surprising to see this issue come up again. The FEC reaffirms their previous ruling — political bloggers are exempt from campaign finance regulations.
Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over US
Not to worry, the safeties were on. But they’ve fired everyone involved just in case. Although, we’re told there was never any risk of danger. But it will never happen again. Not that it would be a problem if it did. So just forget anything like this ever happened.
Newest spy gadget: social networking
A social network for spys?! Where do we sign up?

iPod Touch: The Final Nail in Zune’s Coffin

September 5, 2007 by Kirk Biglione

By now you’ve already heard the big news everyone is talking about. That’s right, Microsoft just lowered the price of the Zune. Pretty exciting, huh?

Apple’s response to this earth shattering news? A revamped lineup of iPods, including the all new iPod Touch. The Touch is essentially an iPhone without the phone (or the two year AT&T contract for that matter). It’s pretty much exactly the device I speculated about in July. The iPod Touch is also everything Microsoft’s Zune should have been when it was launched late last year.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Microsoft partisans were crowing about how the Zune would ultimately beat the iPod, because of it’s larger screen and built-in WiFi. The WiFi, in particular, was going to be a killer app. In retrospect, the Zune’s WiFi was a killer app alright — it was the manner in which Microsoft chose to implement the WiFi that ultimately killed the Zune.

When they write the story of how Microsoft let Apple win the digital media war they’ll devote a whole volume to the failure of the Zune. In theory, the Zune could have done nearly everything the iPod Touch does. Aside from the iPod Touch’s touch screen, the Zune had all of the other major features in place: larger screen, built-in WiFi, slick user interface.

The Daily Loper – September 4, 2007

September 4, 2007 by Lopy

The Politics of Buns Edition

Todays links of interest:

Metal Machine Music… Live!!!
Holy Christ!! Is it April 1 already?
‘Battlestar Galactica’ Finale Coming In 2009?
Apparently, Sci-Fi is thinking of splitting the final season and airing the second half a fracking year later. That. Would. Totally. Suck.
Cheney Orders Media To Sell Attack On Iran
Coming this fall on Fox Noise, er, News.

NBC’s Bad Move

September 4, 2007 by Kassia Krozser

Will all due apologies to the Fresh Prince, networks executives just don’t understand. Or, rather, NBC executive just don’t understand. This past week, we learned that negotiations between Apple and NBC broke down because NBC wants to charge $5.00 an episode for television shows sold via iTunes while Apple, understandably, wants to charge less.

Rather than lure consumers in with a partial-season offering of NBC programming, Apple will not sell any NBC shows this fall (the deal was set to end in December anyway). First, a little bit of math. Assuming a 24-episode season, regular viewers will be paying approximately $50 for the season at $1.99; NBC wants those viewers to pay in the neighborhood of $120 for that same programming. You know, that’s a lot of money, especially considering that the cost of production is largely subsidized by commercial advertisers during the first broadcast run.
[Read more…] about NBC’s Bad Move