Microsoft

Medialoper Bebop Episode 22: Time Change!

November 9, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, Kirk, Tim and Jim are reeling from the ramifications of the reversion back to Pacific Standard Time, so there are fewer topics, but more digressions!

First, a look at Amazon’s Kindle Owners Lending Library, and what it might mean for the Publishing industry, and you, the Consumer. Yes, you!! (07:20 – 21:00)

A voicemail from Commissioner Loper leads to a plot to capture Jay Fung, who still doesn’t know that he’s been mentioned on nearly every single podcast for the past couple of months. (21:02 – 23:00)

Then, a Musical Moment to Die For: The Dream Syndicate – Then She Remembers. (23:02 – 25:02)

Finally, Jim reveals his amazingly simple 21st Century plan to fix the problem of Daylight Saving Time, something that has been publicly affecting our lives since at least 1983. (25:03 – 33:32)

Here’s what’s in Jim’s mix this week: John Doe, Deer Tick and some rare Smiths. (33:33 – 37:54)

All that, and commentary from our special guest, Siri!!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:18 — 65.0MB)

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Medialoper Bebop Episode 15: Skype Hunting

September 15, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, we’re working out some technical bugs as we’re recording the podcast via iChat instead of Skype. There’s a damn good reason for this, and Kirk explains why. (2:07 – 16:00)

Then, we take a look at the hype surrounding Windows 8, and Tim admits that there is nothing that Microsoft can ever ever do to make him appreciate them. Just like certain people with Obama. (16:00 – 23:04)

Finally, it’s the third inductee to the Medialoper Great Albums Hall of Fame: Brian Eno’s 1974 masterpiece Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (24:00 – 35:45)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:38 — 65.5MB)

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Medialoper’s 2008 Ducking The Shoe Awards

December 17, 2008 by Jim Connelly

“Ducking the Shoe” is a phrase coined by Daniel Fienberg a couple of days ago on Twitter to mean “escaping even the most minor of punishments for extended errors or misdeeds.”

Well, yeah.

So in the spirit of George W. Bush’s ninja-like ability to duck a shoe thrown at him from point blank range, the following people and things spent 2008 getting away with shit that they really should have been busted on.

Microsoft & Seinfeld: A Match Made in the 1990s

August 22, 2008 by Jim Connelly

Hey kids, remember the late 1990s? Bill Clinton was President. The economy was humming along. Gas prices were low. Seinfeld was the number one TV show. And Microsoft ruled the tech world. You might not have liked it, but it was true.

At the time, it seemed like there was nothing that Microsoft couldn’t do: they had so much power that they were able to start the Browser Wars and win them without getting bogged down in a quagmire. Hell, even Windows 98 was a decent operating system.

For Microsoft, good times. And they’d like to remind you of those times, with an upcoming ad campaign starring another 1990s icon: Jerry Seinfeld.

An ad campaign where the co-star is another 1990s icon: Bill Gates. What? Bill Clinton wasn’t also available? While I understand that things aren’t going quite as swimmingly for Microsoft in 2008 as they were in 1998, I don’t think this will help.

The DRM Virus Is Spreading – A Pandemic May Be Near

September 20, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

Last week we were startled to learn about Zune’s viral DRM system. As it turns out, the whole thing may have been a miscommunication on the part of Microsoft’s Zune Insider. But that doesn’t mean that Zune isn’t responsible for spreading the DRM virus. On the contrary, there’s mounting evidence that Zune is directly responsible for a mutation of the virus.

With the release of Zune, Microsoft has intentionally turned its back on its previous DRM standard – the PlaysForSure system. As a result, PlaysForSure partners are starting to drop support for Microsoft’s old DRM system in favor of their own proprietary DRM systems.

On Monday Real Networks and SanDisk announced that the Rhapsody music service will be switching from PlaysForSure to Real’s own Rhapsody DNA system. In an attempt to emulate Apple’s iTunes/iPod experience, SanDisk will release a new player that will be tightly integrated with the Rhapsody music service. The move is designed to position both companies against the upcoming Zune Marketplace as well as iTunes.

Microsoft Insider Clarifies Zune’s Sharing Limitations

September 19, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

It’s been four days since we noted that Zune’s wireless file sharing sounds an awful lot like a form of viral DRM that may be in violation of the Creative Commons licenses. This afternoon Cesar, the Zune Insider, has stepped up to clarify his original comments:

I misspoke (mis-blogged) on last week’s post. We don’t actually wrap all songs up in DRM. Zune to Zune Sharing doesn’t change the DRM on a song, and it doesn’t impose DRM restrictions on any files that are unprotected. If you have a song – say that you got ‘free and clear’ – Zune to Zune Sharing won’t apply any DRM to that song. The 3-day/3-play limitation is built into the device, and it only applies on the Zune device: when you receive a song in your Inbox, the file remains unchanged. After 3 plays or 3 days, you can no longer play the song; however, you can still see a listing of the songs with the associated metadata.

Zune’s Big Innovation: Viral DRM

September 15, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

Now that Microsoft has released some hard facts about Zune we can finally begin to sort out how much of an impact the product might have on the digital music market. For weeks we’ve been hearing rumors about how Zune’s wireless capabilities will be used to enable new types of music sharing and discovery. It’s the one feature that could potentially set Zune apart from the iPod.

Unfortunately Zune’s wireless music sharing is turning out to be one of those features that seemed better when it was just a rumor. While Zune users will be able share music with friends, there’s a catch (isn’t there always). As Jim noted earlier, recipients of shared songs will only be able to listen to them three times or for three days, whichever comes first. It sort of sounds like a really bad tire warranty.

Why I Won’t Swoon For Zune

September 14, 2006 by Jim Connelly

This is going to be pretty short and sweet. I’m sure that Kirk may have a blow-by-blow analysis of all of Zune’s shortcomings forthcoming, but I just want to do a quick take on what is supposed to make Zune an “iPod Killer:” — that killer app that would coax people like me away from purchasing yet another iPod — the wireless song-sharing.

Why Steve Jobs Pre-announced Apple’s iTV Product

September 12, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

Of all of the product announcements made during today’s Apple event, the most surprising, by far, was the pre-announcement of a new set-top box. Code named iTV, the box will use standard wireless networking to feed iTunes content to any home entertainment center. The device is scheduled to come out in the first quarter of 2007.

Does anyone remember the last time Apple pre-announced a new product this far in advance? What happened to the legendary Apple secrecy? A huge part of Apple’s mystic is built around the intense reaction the press has to the unveiling of unexpected new products. That coverage usually drives customers to jump on the bandwagon and buy the latest Apple products immediately. By previewing iTV this far in advance Apple risks losing both the buzz and consumer interest during the months leading up to its release. Worse yet, iTV won’t be available for the holiday shopping season.

Zune Autopsy Photos Revealed By FCC

August 25, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

It’s been just over a month since Microsoft announced the mysterious Zune product line. The company has intentionally kept the Zune shrouded in secrecy in hopes that a viral buzz will build prior to the official product release. With almost nothing of substance to report Microsoft’s own Zune Insider seems to spend most of his time denying “rumor and speculation”.

Given all of the secrecy surrounding Zune it’s really surprising to see Zune’s guts spilled out all over the FCC’s website.