http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120714/02445619700/two-cent-doughnuts-breed-decades-bad-blood-its-not-so-easy-going-free-to-paid.shtml#c28 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:50:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120714/02445619700/two-cent-doughnuts-breed-decades-bad-blood-its-not-so-easy-going-free-to-paid.shtml#c28
There are just some sorts of things that pure abstract theoretical free-market economic modeling says should be easy, but which turn out to be very, very hard due to human psychology. I guess they are both just examples of that, maybe?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120723/18284519801/jack-daniels-shows-world-heres-how-to-send-polite-cease-and-desist.shtml#c97 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:23:32 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120723/18284519801/jack-daniels-shows-world-heres-how-to-send-polite-cease-and-desist.shtml#c97 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120721/18262519786/charging-40000-to-issue-patch-makes-games-better-microsoft.shtml#c90 Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:27:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120721/18262519786/charging-40000-to-issue-patch-makes-games-better-microsoft.shtml#c90
The main events I'm thinking of are things like: new revs of the hardware and new dashboard updates. Because, those things can introduce changes to the platform that impact older games.

Heck, just look at "Uno" for one example. A long time ago, they updated it to add support for the old pre-Kinect video camera -- you can have a video chat with the people you're playing Uno with. But that feature doesn't work if your camera is a Kinect. Shouldn't "update video-using games so they can support the Kinect camera" something it'd be in Microsoft's interest to do?

If devs know they'll get a free patch once every year or so, very expensive otherwise, this still has the advantage of encouraging them to be prudent and not just assume they can patch like crazy to fix things after release, but with a "safety valve" of sorts. Or so it seems to me.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120717/11403219732/jon-stewart-blasts-viacom-stupid-blackout-viacom-sheepishly-turns-web-streams-back.shtml#c53 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:58:21 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120717/11403219732/jon-stewart-blasts-viacom-stupid-blackout-viacom-sheepishly-turns-web-streams-back.shtml#c53
I wish I could believe they're going to end up with what I *really* want: unbundling of the Viacom channels, so I can buy Comedy Central and ignore MTV/VH1.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120712/03405119672/viacom-uses-fans-as-hostages-blocks-daily-show-colbert-streams-everyone-to-spite-directv.shtml#c60 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 08:03:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120712/03405119672/viacom-uses-fans-as-hostages-blocks-daily-show-colbert-streams-everyone-to-spite-directv.shtml#c60
They decided to give all the "Encore" movie channels to subscribers for free until the 31st.

I couldn't watch a re-run of the Daily Show last night, and had to instead make due with a free Sean Connery "Bond" film? Okay, *which* company are people going to side with?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100811/03353510583/dailydirt-computer-generated-music.shtml#c158 Thu, 5 Jul 2012 10:47:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100811/03353510583/dailydirt-computer-generated-music.shtml#c158
Larry Fast's "Synergy" project is an old (as far back as 1970s era) effort in computer/electronic music. Most of the stuff, he composed the music and programmed old computers (eg. Apple ][ with tons of custom MIDI hardware) to perform it.

But at least once, he instead programmed the computer to compose the music.

http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Experiments-Vol-1-Synergy/dp/B0001KJO7Y

It doesn't exactly sound great. The album is sometimes colloquially referred to as "Pink Noise". But it came with (at least some) source code!

(I never tried to type in enough to get something to work. As I recall, it's all Apple ][ assembly language source code, 6502 or whatever, and back in those days I went from Z80 to 8086 myself.)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120702/03105019548/charles-carreon-keeps-digging-digging-inman-indiegogo-hit-back.shtml#c368 Mon, 2 Jul 2012 09:01:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120702/03105019548/charles-carreon-keeps-digging-digging-inman-indiegogo-hit-back.shtml#c368 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120627/01050319504/big-isps-expected-to-start-six-strikes-program-this-weekend.shtml#c427 Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:42:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120627/01050319504/big-isps-expected-to-start-six-strikes-program-this-weekend.shtml#c427
Remember when there were a gazillion small ISPs out there? That was better for the health of the internet than the current situation. It'd be good to see those days come back.

(Me? I'm currently on speakeasy/megapath.)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120621/09203019418/even-judge-wonders-what-oracle-is-up-to-as-it-asks-0-copyright-damages-google.shtml#c165 Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:23:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120621/09203019418/even-judge-wonders-what-oracle-is-up-to-as-it-asks-0-copyright-damages-google.shtml#c165 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/11050519050/boom-jury-says-no-patent-infringement-google-oracle-case.shtml#c71 Wed, 23 May 2012 11:23:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/11050519050/boom-jury-says-no-patent-infringement-google-oracle-case.shtml#c71
And Europe answered the question, with a "no, they're not".

If the US decides this the other way... am I the only person predicting a mass exodus of cloud/SaaS providers from the US to Europe? Hey, this might just be the thing to jump-start the European economy!]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120522/03424319011/band-protests-as-copyright-troll-sues-its-fans.shtml#c73 Tue, 22 May 2012 14:24:12 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120522/03424319011/band-protests-as-copyright-troll-sues-its-fans.shtml#c73 just a right to sue. Remember, Righthaven didn't have the right to distribute (or even license?) the stuff they were suing over. If these folks do have the right to distribute, that seems very different.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/01542518984/why-hollywood-is-doomed-it-takes-sensible-advice-like-make-good-movies-turns-it-into-screed-about-piracy.shtml#c181 Tue, 22 May 2012 07:59:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/01542518984/why-hollywood-is-doomed-it-takes-sensible-advice-like-make-good-movies-turns-it-into-screed-about-piracy.shtml#c181 This is a bit like condoning shoplifting if it]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/07461118999/crysis-3-studio-reminds-you-it-still-owns-your-copy-original-crysis.shtml#c538 Tue, 22 May 2012 07:52:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/07461118999/crysis-3-studio-reminds-you-it-still-owns-your-copy-original-crysis.shtml#c538 Ripping out the DRM would be a lot more work that, at this point, probably wouldn't make them any more money.
A lot of work, except, someone's already done it! Aren't cracked copies already out there?

If they were to infringe on the intellectual property of the "pirates" who cracked their game, who exactly would take whom to court over that? Would the crackers identify themselves in order to sue for infringement? What would the consequences be?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/07461118999/crysis-3-studio-reminds-you-it-still-owns-your-copy-original-crysis.shtml#c533 Tue, 22 May 2012 07:48:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120521/07461118999/crysis-3-studio-reminds-you-it-still-owns-your-copy-original-crysis.shtml#c533 Zork sometimes.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c736 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:15:59 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c736
And I'm not reasoning from a false premise, I'm making an observation. There are plenty of people who refuse to play online on XBox Live because of what the social environment is like.

I understand that you believe that in theory nobody but the platform can exclude people. But it happens.

In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there often is.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/06310918579/video-game-developers-continue-to-ignorantly-attack-used-game-sales.shtml#c540 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:15:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/06310918579/video-game-developers-continue-to-ignorantly-attack-used-game-sales.shtml#c540
Now, that doesn't mean that eliminating the capability to resell would completely prevent me from ever buying games again. But, it'll dramatically reduce the amount I spend. A game that I'd have paid $60 for new under today's rules, well, publishers will be lucky to get $15 from me if it's DRMed and can't be transferred.

Of course, they don't see this coming, and have convinced themselves that this won't happen. I suppose I must admit that it's possible I'm an outlier here, and the number of people like me are few enough to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

We'll see. And while we're waiting to see, I think I'll go amuse myself with another 99]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c579 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:56:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c579 Nobody likes to feel excluded...
...yet many gamers engage in behavior that excludes many.

Ever play on XBox Live? Ever use voice chat? The toxic bile that spills out from your headset if you do so... the levels of overt sexism and racism and the profanity will drive many pleasant people off of the service. It happens.

Given that someone is going to be excluded, that you can't avoid that given the current environment, why put the power over who will be excluded entirely in the hands of vile adolescent asshats?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c492 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:12:47 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120420/13454718591/valve-tries-to-charge-people-based-how-likable-they-are-trolls-pay-full-price.shtml#c492
Star Trek Online has something vaguely related to this as well. It's a free-to-play game with paid services. It has a scenario editor that lets players create content for other players. There's a reviewing mechanism for the player-created content... including a "tip jar". You can tip a creator with "dilithium", an in-game currency that can be exchanged for "cryptic points", which normally you obtain by purchasing with real-world money. The result is that players who create content that enough other players like can end up with a constant stream of the currency used for the game's microtransactions.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120418/08405618545/hbo-decides-it-still-isnt-difficult-enough-to-watch-hbo-shows.shtml#c594 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:37:04 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120418/08405618545/hbo-decides-it-still-isnt-difficult-enough-to-watch-hbo-shows.shtml#c594
(As an aside: if it were my decision alone, this change would probably get me to cancel HBO. But I can't make that decision for my family unilaterally.)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120416/12411618512/did-publishers-own-insistence-drm-inevitably-lead-to-antitrust-lawsuit-against-them.shtml#c274 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:48:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120416/12411618512/did-publishers-own-insistence-drm-inevitably-lead-to-antitrust-lawsuit-against-them.shtml#c274
Baen in particular has a free library where you can get for example the first books of a series completely DRM-free and money-free -- they recognize that it's a way to drum up additional business.]]>