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Sunday, April 29th, 2007
| Time |
Event |
| 12:01a |
Revenue Envy: Microsoft Makes More Money, Fewer Xboxes
03:04 28.04.2007
Revenue Envy: Microsoft Makes More Money, Fewer Xboxes
A few days ago, we reported Apple's stellar quarterly earnings, not because we're going all Wall Street, but because we heart Apple. (Like you didn't know.) One brave reader named Jim called us on the bias, saying that Microsoft did amazingly well in its most recent quarter, and deserves a bit o' Gizmodo love.
"Why aren't you reporting Microsoft's successful quarter?" wrote Jim. "Hey, maybe you have it wrong, and Vista is a huge success...and it can only get better with worldwide sales."
Well, Jim, wherever you are, when you're right, you're right. Microsoft did have an impressive quarter, but there was also some grimness tucked in with those upwardly moving graph lines. First the good news: Microsoft did make a bitchload of profit this past quarter, $4.93 billion up from $2.98 billion a year earlier. It's almost entirely attributed to Vista and Office 2007. The other Steve (Ballmer) did some expectation management back in February, saying people were overestimating Vista sales. His remark was either wrong or carefully calculated (or both), because Wall Street aimed lower and Microsoft delivered higher.
Keep in mind, Microsoft didn't release the actual Vista sales figures, however, just how much money they made selling Vista. Will sales continue to surge? Probably, since it will continue to be an excuse for people to buy a new computer. (Our reader, Jim, thinks so, too. However, if he happens to be wrong a year from now, we expect an apology in writing.)
The part of Microsoft that most applies to Gizmodo readers—the Entertainment and Devices division—reported that it had cut its losses on Xbox from $402 million a year ago to $315 million in this last quarter. CFO Chris Liddell even confirmed that Xbox and Zune would even be profitable in 2008! But these were also sad numbers: Microsoft cut its losses by selling only 500,000 Xboxes in the quarter, down from 1.7 million a year ago. Declining sales this early in the console war can't be a good thing. And mind you, there was no talk of Zune sales figures. That we will worry about when we start seeing them on the subway.
So there you have it, Jim (and anyone else who is still reading), Microsoft made some money, but it seems it will need to start spending again. We didn't even touch on the third front, Microsoft's ad war with Google. Redmond picked up a little momentum this past quarter, but if you believe our brothers at Valleywag, there ain't no stopping the steamin' GOOG. – Wilson Rothman
Microsoft shares gain as earnings surge [MarketWatch]
Microsoft's Console Sales Slowing Down [The Mercury News]
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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Looking Forward To Purple Ray: FastMac Ships First < $500 Blu-ray Burner For Macs
03:30 28.04.2007
Looking Forward To Purple Ray: FastMac Ships First < $500 Blu-ray Burner For Macs
 Whether you're making home Blu-ray movies to distribute to your friends or just backing up all your data with 50GB chunks, Blu-ray seems to be the way to go if you've got a Mac. FastMac's latest Blu-ray drives are the first sub-$500 BD burners that we've seen, and work fine with Mac Pro, PowerMac G3-G5, eMacs and iMac G4s.
Check out their full spec list after the jump for the types of Blu-ray discs it works with. But still, five hundred bones is a lot to fork out if you don't really need it for work or to make money. There's a reason why Blu-ray and HD DVD porn movies cost $49.99 each. Specifications:
* Up to 8x DVD±RW, 2x BD-RW
* Up to 50 GB of Storage on 1 Dual-Layer Disc
* Compatible with all CD and DVD media
* Bootable, OS X Native, Plug and Play Drive
* 100% PC & Mac compatible*
Works With:
* Mac Pro
* PowerMac G3
* PowerMac G4
* PowerMac G5
* eMac
* iMac G4
Reads:
* Blu-ray: BD-ROM (SL/DL)
* BD-R (SL/DL)
* BD-RE (SL/DL)
* DVD: DVD-5
* DVD-9
* DVD-10
* DVD-R (3.95G/4.7G)
* DVD-R DL
* DVD-RAM (4.7G)
* DVD-RW
* +R
* +R DL
* +RW
* CD: CD-Audio
* CD-ROM (mode 1 and mode 2)
* CD-ROM XA (mode 2, form 1 and form 2)
* CD-I (mode 2, form 1 and form 2)
* CD-I Ready
* CD-I Bridge
* CD-R
* CD-RW
* Photo CD
* Video CD
* Enhanced Music CD
* CD-TEXT
Writes:
* Blu-ray: 2x BD-RE
* 2x BD-R
* DVD: 5x DVD-RAM
* 8x DVD-R 4.7GB for General (Ver.2.0)
* 4x DVD-R DL
* 6x DVD-RW (Ver.1.1 / 1.2)
* 8x +R
* 4x +R DL
* 8x +RW
* CD: 24x CD-R, 16x CD-RW
– Jason Chen
Product Page [FastMac]
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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Announcements: Quick News: The Weather Channel, The Olympics, and More
04:50 28.04.2007
Announcements: Quick News: The Weather Channel, The Olympics, and More
[ Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<img [...] 260">') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] <lj-raw><small>04:50 28.04.2007</small><br> <b><a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/announcements/quick-news-the-weather-channel-the-olympics-and-more-256074.php">Announcements: Quick News: The Weather Channel, The Olympics, and More</a></b><br> <p><img alt="flashjumper.jpg" src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/04/flashjumper.jpg" width="225 height="260" class="left"/>According to the forecast in Beijing, <a href="http://feeds.treehugger.com/~r/treehuggersite/~3/112495659/beijing_forced_rain.php">there's a 50% chance of rain for the Olympics Opening Ceremony</a>. But Beijing doesn't like those odds, so instead they've armed anti-aircraft guns with silver iodine bullets that will force the looming clouds to rain ahead of schedule.</p> <p>Google claims that after 32 hours, the glitch that was messing up people's personal homepage <a href="http://feeds.pcworld.com/~r/pcworld/latestnews/~3/112528558/article.html">is completely resolved</a>. </p> <p><a href="http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/04/27/the-weather-channel-ramping-up-for-hd/">The Weather Channel</a> is spending over $50 Million in order to get ready for HD. While that may seem ridiculously overpriced, apparently that includes building an entire new studio.</p> <p>AOL's new portal page looks familiar, I mean <em>really</em> familiar. It's probably because <a href="http://valleywag.com/tech/ui/aol-rips-off-yahoo-front-page-255854.php">they stole the interface from Yahoo</a>, how original.<span class="byline">– Ben Longo</span></p></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=dbB10L"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=dbB10L" border="0"></img></a></p> <br clear="all"> <p></p><small><a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/announcements/quick-news-the-weather-channel-the-olympics-and-more-256074.php">read more</a> at <a href="http://www.gizmodo.com">Gizmodo</a></small></lj-raw><div align="right"><small><a href="http://hiero.ru/rss2lj/" rel="nofollow">rss2lj</a></small></div> | | 12:01a |
Help Us Steve Jobs You're Our Only Hope: Big-Box Retailers: Why We Need iTunes and Other Online Stor
05:15 28.04.2007
Help Us Steve Jobs You're Our Only Hope: Big-Box Retailers: Why We Need iTunes and Other Online Stores
 An article in the Wall Street Journal today drives home why record labels need to hop on the DRM-free digital music train to get their wares out there. Wal-Mart, Best Buy and their ilk are now responsible for at least 65 percent of all music sales—including online stores—and they're reducing the amount of music they carry as CD sales drop. Do we really want Wal-Mart dictating what music people listen to?
On top of granting more and better shelf space to big-name releases like Justin Timberlake over say, Mike Patton's latest work, and skewing sales that way, Sam Walton's legacy flat-out refuses to sell certain titles. And matching the 20 percent plunge in CD sales this year, it's planning to shrink store real estate dedicated to music by an equal amount. Best Buy's also cutting down on the amount of space it gives CDs, so expect the number of titles they carry—8,000 to 20,000, versus defunct Tower Records' up to 100,000—to be cut as well.
Result? Big name, mainstream sludge will be pushed even harder by default. As space shrinks, so does choice.
Online stores have unlimited shelf space. They carry an unlimited quantity of millions of titles. While they're no substitute for dropping by your local record store, increasingly they're looking like the most viable way to keep choice alive in the music industry. Even just the iTunes home page has way more variety than the weekly promo displays at Target.
All of this adds up to yet another reason why the Big Four and other labels need to drop DRM to spur music sales online—it's for their own good, really. If they're still interested in keeping the industry alive, at any rate. – Matt Buchanan
Can Music Survive Inside the Big Box? [Wall Street Journal via Consumerist]
Image via Flickr
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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Gizmodo Exclusive: Exclusive Pics of the Vudu - Video Store In A Box
09:05 28.04.2007
Gizmodo Exclusive: Exclusive Pics of the Vudu - Video Store In A Box
These are the first pictures of the box, remote control and UI of Vudu, a video store in a box that is going to engage in a battle royale with Apple TV later this summer. The service will launch with thousands of movies from seven major studios as well as indie distributors, connects directly to your TV and does not require a PC or a cable box. The company, Vudu, Inc., has been quietly engineering the technology and striking deals with content owners for the past two years (under the codename Marquee). It's run by some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Find out more about the box, its load-sharing network, and the Apple connection after the jump.
The box is about the size of a hardcover book and delivers video streamed in MPEG-4, which is upscaled to HD. It has HDMI, composite, and S-Video ports. Vudu goes online via an ethernet cable, and the media stream is managed through a load-sharing distributed network, which should guarantee instant access to the movies without stutters. The remote control has a scroll wheel (nice touch) and appears to have just five buttons. There are plenty of open questions about Vudu—like the size of the hard drive—which won't get answered until closer to the launch this summer. The price is going to be competitive with Apple TV, but probably a bit more expensive.
The chairman of the Vudu, Inc. board is Alain Rossman, the guy who made it possible for you to browse the Web on a mobile device (WAP). He got his start at Apple, then founded Phone.com (now Openwave Systems), EO Corporation, and C-Cube Microsystems among others. The founder of Vudu, Tony Miranz, comes from Tahoe Networks and AT&T Bell Labs. The COO and VP of Engineering both come from TiVo. Vudu is funded by Greylock Partners and Benchmark Capital.
How will it stand up against Xbox 360, TiVo Series 3 and Apple TV? I can't wait to find out.
–Noah Robischon
Vudu [Teaser Page]
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
Expensive: Hands-On: Sony's All-in-One WA1 Audio Streamer
19:00 28.04.2007
Expensive: Hands-On: Sony's All-in-One WA1 Audio Streamer
 Back in January Sony gave us a look at their WA1 music streamer—a compact boombox that hooks up to your Wi-Fi network and lets you stream music from your PC. The player, which comes in white and black, also streams music from the Internet and can hook up to just about any audio equipment you have (it's got aux-in, optical out, and RCA connections).
Here's the catch. It costs $350, which is a lot of dough to fork over for a streamer. So we called one in to see if the WA1 is worth your cash. Let's start superficially: looks-wise the WA1 is a winner.
It's got a nice curvy design, it's portable (it's relatively light and comes with a 4-hour battery), and it has a fancy mirrored top that doubles as a touch-sensitive display when turned on. The downside to the mirrored display is that it picks up fingerprints like crazy. Yeah, it's gimmicky, but Sony pulls it off nicely. Performance-wise, however, there's nothing to justify the high price tag. Here's what I mean.
For starters, the unit is PC-only and requires that you install Sony's software before you get started, so it's not as plug-and-play as I would've liked it to be. The good news is that once you get everything installed and configured (about a 5-10 minute process) the WA1 is simple to use. The player has 4 basic functions. To switch between them just hit the right button: PC, Web Radio, Aux, and Memory (the player has 128MB of built-in memory). Once the power is on, you got basic controls like volume, back, play, fwd, and so forth.
Unfortunately, the WA1 locks you into stations on Live 365. So if you're buying this solely for Web radio, don't, and make sure you at least know what's up with online radio if you do. Sound-wise, the unit could use an extra punch or two of bass. Even when streaming from our PC the sound was good, but not $350 kinda good. To be fair, I've only spent a day with the player, but so far, I'm leaning on the "don't buy this" side, mainly 'cause of the price/performance ratio. There are some cheaper and not-so-cheap (but excellent) alternatives. – Louis Ramirez
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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Gullibility Parade: Sony Number One in "True Brand Power"
22:30 28.04.2007
Gullibility Parade: Sony Number One in "True Brand Power"
 Despite exploding batteries, no rumble in the PS3 (well, maybe), their commitment to $600 PS3s, and oh, meh PS3 sales, Sony somehow emerged as the most powerful brand in a study by AlixPartners, besting among others, Tylenol and Toyota. Better yet, AlixPartners claims to ascertain "true brand power, which the index measures via a sophisticated consumer trust-versus-distrust formula." So you guys trust Sony? I have a moon to sell you. And it's only $600.
Oh wait, the survey was conducted in Fall 2006. It all makes sense now.– Matt Buchanan
Press Release [AlixPartners via Joystiq]
Image via Flickr </a>
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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It Looks Nothing Like A Nano: Meizu M3 Music Card Preview
23:15 28.04.2007
It Looks Nothing Like A Nano: Meizu M3 Music Card Preview
We're actually fans of Meizu's players, despite (or maybe because of) their similarities to Apple's offerings. Their latest, the Meizu M3 Music Card, has 8GB of storage, 1.5-inch display, FM radio, 20-hour battery life, and a $100 price point.
You can get 2 and 4GB models for $65 and $80, which really makes this a lot cheaper than getting a Nano. Too bad you can't use this with the Nike+iPod kit, which we're still cursing as the reason why we're forced to buy a player we otherwise don't really need. Anything to get sexy, we suppose. – Jason Chen
Ultraslim Meizu M3 Music Card Video Preview [TechEBlog]
read more at Gizmodo | | 12:01a |
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Reminds Me Of Plasma Sword: Covenant Beware: US Army Developing Plasma Shields
02:15 29.04.2007
Reminds Me Of Plasma Sword: Covenant Beware: US Army Developing Plasma Shields
 If anyone takes their R&D seriously, it's the US Army, who produces sweet combat tech on a consistent basis, from grenade bots to paralyzing searchlights. The Plasma Acoustic Shield System continues that fine tradition. I mean, come on, it has the word "plasma" in it, so it has to be awesome.
The tech behind it, "dynamic pulse detonation," uses an "intense" laser pulse to generate a ball of plasma, which is followed up by a second laser pulse that produces a supersonic shockwave to along with it—bright lights and big sounds to shock and awe, in other words.
Alright, so if you're not that impressed, just wait—the same builder, Stellar Photonics, is hawking a laser rifle to the army that would be able to frag foes from over a mile away. Lethal. Laser. Sniper. Rifle. Yeah. – Matt Buchanan
Plasma shield may stun and disorientate enemies [New Scientist Tech via Slashdot] </a>
read more at Gizmodo | | 2:21a |
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Полцарства за коня
Полцарства за коня
Наверняка попытка безнадёжна, но всё же. Кто-нибудь может реально помочь с поиском трэка или хоть какой-то дополнительной информации о нём - Medicine - I'm Sick лишь единожды "запаленного" в миксе Лайама Хоулета - Dirtchamber Sessions (Session 5, 3:33)? Всё что есть - это минутный кусок трэка вырезанный из микса: вот он (900кб) Ещё если я не путаю, его каталожный номер на виниле : NEXT013 (хотя здесь я могу ошибаться). Ни одна поисковая система не помогла мне его найти хоть в каком-либо виде. А ведь ищу я его уже почти 8 лет с тех пор как впервые услышал :-) Если у кого-нибудь есть ХОТЬ ЧТО-НИБУДЬ об этом трэке - дайте знать плиз. Трэк-то чумовой :)
read more at breaks @ ru | | 8:22a |
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Административное сообщение.
19:48 28.04.2007
Административное сообщение.
Друзья! Очень надоело отклонять посты с хорошей музыкой только потому, что автор не потрудился подумать об участниках сообщества и не подумал о том, что помимо музыки в посте важна ещё и информация о ней, любимой. Посему при написании поста теперь обязательны следующие пункты :
- Заполненое поле "Тема" (Subject), в котором пишется название того что вы выкладываете.
- Картинка. (не более 400 пикселей по ширине/высоте)
- Стиль.
- Битрэйт.
- Размер файла(-ов).
- Продолжительность микса по времени (если это микс). Для трэков, я думаю, это не существенно.
- Трэклист под катом (в случае если его написать можно и он больше 10 трэков). Как использовать lj-cut
- Проставленные тэги.
- Ну и естессно ссылка на файл(ы). Ссылка просто на сайт считается рекламой. Реклама удаляется.
Картинка обязательна, если это официальный релиз. Картинки к релизам можно найти на discogs.com. Выделенное красным и жирным - обязательно! Пример хорошо и правильного оформленного поста. Теперь по поводу поиска трэков/миксов/прочего. Если уж вам не помог google, yandex и soulseek, вы можете попросить помощи у нас. Но пожалуйста, пишите нормально и точно что именно вам нужно в теле поста. И обязательно указывайте в теме поста что вы ищете и что это именно поиск. Напоминаю, опознавалки запрещены.Пример нормально оформленного поиска. Теперь информация для джедаев, желающих почитать отзывы на свои миксы.Уважаемые мастера вертушек, трактора, эйблтон лайв, и прочего сводящего софта и харда. Требования изложенные выше относятся и к вам. Оформляйте свои посты хорошо и красиво. Критерии красивости я надеюсь объяснять не надо. Пример нормально оформленного поста от джедая. Отныне всё, что приходит на модерацию и не удовлетворяет требованиям изложенным в этом сообщении будет отклоняться с ссылкой на этот пост. Этот пост по мере появления новых претензий к оформлению постов будет дополняться. Спасибо за внимание. ))))
read more at ClubMusic.DJ - ClubMusic Community | | 7:00p |
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Deep and Sexy, Vol. 4: Mixed by King Britt
13:06 29.04.2007
Deep and Sexy, Vol. 4: Mixed by King Britt
Deep and Sexy, Vol. 4: Mixed by King Britt  year . 2007 genre : House subgenre . Deep Soulful House label : Wave Music quality : VBRkbps / 44,1Khz / Joint-Stereo cat . WM50172-2 URL : www.wavemusic.com //Микс от самого King Britt`а!! -CD-2007-dh/00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-front-dh.jpg) Deep & Sexy 4, is a house music dream built for flirtatious moments
on dance floors around the globe. Not one to limit this to just
creating a mix for a renowned label, King took the opportunity to
challenge himself. Using Ableton Live 6 software, this compilation is
as much a unique studio album as it is a scenic compilation of
tracks.
"First I picked all the songs that I wanted in the mix, then I culled
them down to ones that may be pieced together to create a completely
new track. I made three turntable tracks which would be as if I was
DJing. I also made a track of all my re-edits and loops, as well as a
track of acapella and samples. In LIVE 6 I put them all together
using production techniques rather than only mixing records. I really
loved mixing this way." - King Britt
It works perfectly. Beginning with Onda's "Waiting For Love", which
is laced with saucy guitar riffs that compliment the sparse melodic
lyrics, then flowing perfectly through Tom & Joyce's "Vai Minha
Tristeza". With a tambourine accenting the bass lines, and the
introduction to the saxophone as it hits mid way, you know you are on
a deep house groove that softly picks you up and demands your hips to
move along. King's ear for groove-heavy, high-hat hitting music is
showcased throughout the mix, and is most apparent when Abstract
Truth "Get Another Plan" (Trumpet Jam) starts peeking through. This
track sets the pace for the rest of the mix, and is the perfect house
tune with its up-and-down bass line and soaring trumpet, which sings
to the listener's mood.
Under the Scuba moniker, King co-wrote and produced "Love For You" as
an exclusive single for the compilation. Naked Music's Lisa Shaw
sings with unmistakable voice that is nothing short of meltingly
gorgeous. Having King Britt craft the music for her emotive lyrics,
this superb track has acid lines with wave-like crescendos and is
flavored with a hint of strings. "Love For You" is the project
highlight and will be releasing soon on Wave Music with exclusive
remixes by an assortment of mix masters. Deep & Sexy 4 ends with Blue
6's "Sweeter Love" (Jay's Full Vocal), which is the perfect ending
track with a chorus that will remain in mind long after the mix comes
to a close.
If deep is how we explain the music, the people who are part of this
project embody sexy. King invited fellow DJ and house producer Rich
Medina, lauded poet and singer Ursula Rucker, Cynthia Mauger, and
Maria Siravo, into the studio to give their individual
interpretations of sexy. King used these as the vocal overdubs
throughout the length of the mix, spicing up by splicing in each
artist's definition of what sexy means to them. King is noted to add
an organic tinge to all his music, and for Deep & Sexy 4 he utilized
new vocals and raw guitar for that touch.
"Sexy is conversation without words. Suggestion, without literal
request. The simplicity of a gesture running deep like still waters,
speaking to the ear of your senses. Sexy is the rush provided by slow
hands. Spontaneity sent to overpower one?s less personal plans. Sexy
is nature?s rising, subtle, hinting at what could be, both divine and
devilish all at once. DEEP & SEXY. Undeniable, yet invisible. Real,
yet most often imagined. Deep, in the back of every lover's mind.." -
Rich MedinaTrack Listings1. Waiting for Your Love - Onda 2. Vai Minha Tristeza [Francois K. & Eric Kupper Vocal] - Tom & Joyce, 3. Get Another Plan [Trumpet Jam][Mix] - Abstract Truth 4. Live My Life - Moments of Soul 5. People from the Sun and the Earth - Calm 6. Musical Prayer - E-Man, , Markus Enochson 7. Delicious - Moments of Soul 8. Light [Apex House][Mix] - Alphamotive 9. Love for You - Scuba, Lisa Shaw 10. Wata [Deep Dub][Dub] - Beat Pharmacy, Mutabaruka 11. She's Here [Brennan Green Remix] - Lascivious 12. Sweeter Love [Jay's Full Vocal] - Sweeter Love VA-Deep_and_Sexy_4-(WM50172-2)-CD-2007-dh 00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-back-dh.jpg 00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-dh.m3u 00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-dh.nfo 00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-dh.sfv 00-va-deep_and_sexy_4-(wm50172-2)-cd-2007-front-dh.jpg 01-va-deep_and_sexy_4_compiled_and_mixed_by_king_britt-dh.cue 01-va-deep_and_sexy_4_compiled_and_mixed_by_king_britt-dh.mp3
read more at ClubMusic.DJ - ClubMusic Community | | 11:20p |
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We Can't Help Ourselves: New Manhattan Apple Store Details: Makes Existing Shrines Seem Tiny
18:30 29.04.2007
We Can't Help Ourselves: New Manhattan Apple Store Details: Makes Existing Shrines Seem Tiny
 Apple's confirmed forthcoming sanctuary in the Meatpacking District will take up three floors and occupy more than 32,000 square feet of the 60,000-square-foot (or 52,605-square-foot according to Apple Insider) complex, making it the biggest Apple Store in Manhattan, if not the world. (The current largest, in London, is 28,000 square feet.)
Apple's not getting a bulk discount on the massive chunk of square footage, either, making it one of its most expensive properties to date as well. To make the yearly rent, at an estimated $400 a square foot (versus the SoHo store's $95), the store would need to sell 36,571 80GB iPods, 8,533 black MacBooks, or 6,400 15-inch MacBook Pros. Floor plan porn after the jump.  – Matt Buchanan
Apple Beefing Up Meatpacking Retail [NY Post via Apple Insider]
read more at Gizmodo | | 11:20p |
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George Orwell Is Crying: New E-Passport Is Patriotic, High-Tech and Ugly
20:00 29.04.2007
George Orwell Is Crying: New E-Passport Is Patriotic, High-Tech and Ugly
 The NY Times reviews the new U.S. e-passport today (if you didn't want one, apparently you're too late). It mostly focuses on how ugly the pastiche of American iconography is, but it mentions the new embedded RFID chip holding all of your biographical info and "a digital image of the passport photograph, which will facilitate the use of face recognition technology at ports-of-entry," according to the State Department's website.
While the gold bars and circle marking your passport as a magical "e-passport" are on the front cover, the chip is embedded somewhere on the back page. To alleviate fears of skimming the chip's info, it only works within four inches of a reader—the cover contains shielding material—and the passports use Basic Access Control, which requires a printed PIN to read the chip, which seems like a pretty good idea.
That said, no one can skim my plain paper passport, which is thankfully good for another seven years. – Matt Buchanan
Stars and Stripes, Wrapped in the Same Old Blue [NYT]
The U.S. Electronic Passport [State Department] </a>
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From The Government-backed-mafia Dept.: SoundExchange Collects Internet Radio Royalties for Every
23:45 29.04.2007
From The Government-backed-mafia Dept.: SoundExchange Collects Internet Radio Royalties for Every Artist, Even Non-Members
 Amidst the uproar over the egregious royalty rate hike for internet radio stations, engineered by RIAA-spinoff SoundExchange and handed down by the Copyright Royalty Board, we missed a detail we should have noticed. Some commenters suggested simply listening to music under non-restrictive licenses. But apparently that won't work.
"The recent U.S. Copyright Office ruling regarding webcasting designated SoundExchange to collect and distribute to all nonmembers as well as its members. The Librarian of Congress issued his decision with rates and terms to govern the compulsory license for webcasters (Internet-only radio) and simulcastors (retransmissions)." Simply put, according to DailyKos: "If any artist records a song, SoundExchange has the right to collect royalties for its performance on Internet radio. Artists can offer to download their music for free, but they cannot offer their songs to Internet radio for free."
Of course, if an artist wants the money from their royalties, they have to join SoundExchange—naturally, membership takes a small "administrative fee" out of your royalty check.
So let's recap: If you're an artist whose work is played on an internet radio station, even if you're not a member of SoundExchange, they're still going to collect royalties for you. And if you don't join, you won't see a dime—it simply goes straight into their pocket. And this is legally proscribed. Awesome.– Matt Buchanan
Is the RIAA Pulling a Scam on the Music Industry? [DailyKos via Slashdot]
Image via Flickr </a>
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