Recent Comments:
Win a Lexmark X7675 wireless printer and two cartridges {Engadget}
Sep 2nd 2008 10:27PM I would love to win this but I am not sure what I would do with it. I don't really need a color printer. But wining is cool so I will throw my hat into the ring!
Open Tech's "Mac clone" demonstrates a firm misunderstanding of the law {Engadget}
Jul 22nd 2008 8:53AM John stop telling lies! The computer does not require you to restart EVERY time you install an update. It requires you to restart every time you install an update that modifies the system in some way. I have done MANY updates that do not require a restart.
First iPhone 3G caught in the wild, unboxed and handled {Engadget}
Jul 8th 2008 5:45PM It has an honest to god GPS chip. It uses a-gps to speed things up.
Apple TV gets the SSD treatment {Engadget}
Jun 14th 2008 12:15PM it's obviously not useless as it has received about 42 posts thus far. For a long time now I have believed that "the anti-Apple" folks would not have much to do if they were not FORCED to comment on such "fluff". If I were the folks at Engadget I would be grinning from ear to ear as I thought up every Apple post.
Psystar's Open Computer gets new case, video card {Engadget}
May 27th 2008 4:04PM yes. once an individual buys a chevy he can then put a BMW engine into it (perhaps the whole EULA business is a bit shaky here). S/he will probably void the warranty but what the hell right? That said, it is another thing entirely for chevy to buy the BMW engine, install it and sell the chevy with a BMW engine as a oBMW (Open BMW). In this instance Chevy's business model is an illegal taking from BMW by making money off of BMW's brand. BMW is under NO obligation to sell those engines to any other company so that they can make profit off of the BMW brand. This is essentially what Paystar is doing.
It is my belief that Apple did not go nuts on the hacking community because they were essentially not profiting from what they were doing. Also, their EULA might be successfully challenged in this instance. However, Paystar's entire business model is predicated on the idea that they will reap their profits from their use of Apple's intellectual property. Apple is completely within their rights to decide how their IP will be sold and used by other corporations. Paystar, this sort of behavior is a no no.
How would Microsoft or any other company that sells an OS react if some other company decided to buy their product, put it on a computer, destroy their business model and reap profit? What if Microsoft took the iPod, cleaned out the OS, installed their Zune software and sold it as an oPod (open iPod)?
What is different here is that one company is MAKING PROFIT by using the IP of another company without their permission. This is what Paystar is guilty of doing. This is what they will get their ass smacked for.
NBC admits "inadvertent" broadcast flag use, still doesn't explain why it actually worked {Engadget}
May 20th 2008 12:39PM I think this only happened with the MS product in question. I don't remember seeing any reports of this happening to any TiVo boxes. I could be wrong though.
Apple looks to OTA downloads for 3G iPhone, record labels look for cash {Engadget}
May 19th 2008 5:05PM Yes Apple has complete control over a product that THEY worked hard to produce. You say that as if they should just let any and every company do what they want with it (the iPhone). This was the problem with much of the chatter about mac clones in the past few months. Sure you can buy a copy of OS X and put it on your dell or home built box. However, Apple is under no legal obligation to allow their product to be sold as part of some other company's business plan. Apple is under no obligation to allow any other company to reap profits off of products that they own the rights to (such as the iPhone or OS X). They are not even under any obligation to allow another company to sell their product. That is why you could not buy an Apple computer in Best Buy for a while. But I digress. . .
The funny thing about contracts is that they can be . . . well . . . funny!
How the contract between Apple and the record companies was written determines how Apple can distribute their content. Just because a digital download and a mobile download looks the same to us means nothing. When the original contract was written I am sure Apple was not even thinking about digital downloads to telephones. If you will remember, when digital downloads via the iTunes stores first kicked off all of the downloaded music had to be cleared by artists because mp3 downloads were never in original record company/artist/writer/etc contracts. The record companies (though they "owned" the rights to the music) had to clear this with artists, songwriters, etc. Thus, bon jovie (or some other rock group) withheld their content from Apple for a long time. so of course Apple has to now go back to the record companies to ask for direct downloads to the iPhone via 3g. Of course Apple has to go back and ask for MORE of the record company catalogs to be made available for ringtones. OF COURSE apple has to go back and ask for permission to sell pre-rings or whatever the hell that is called. Apple simply can not do something outside of the contract that they originally have with the record companies.
In addition, that Apple wants this is just another way to try and coerce them into raising prices. We will see who budges, Apple or the record companies. WHo knows.
Microsoft and NBC working on copyright filters for Zune? {Engadget}
May 8th 2008 6:27AM The problem is that from Universal's stand point any sort of "format shifting" is money being stolen from their pocket. I can't remember who it was but one of these executives has said that they want you to pay each time you want to access the same content. So, if you buy the DVD they want you to pay for the download. Fair use to many of them is stealing.
And I would like to ask who do you believe. A high executive at Universal or a Zune blogger/employee? Unless the NYT screwed up I would say that something unsavory is going on.
Criterion Collection coming to Blu-ray in October {Engadget}
May 8th 2008 6:13AM I wish they would acquire the rights to "Raise the Red Lantern". SIGH!
Microsoft turns the DRM screw on MSN Music owners {Engadget}
Apr 23rd 2008 12:30PM They are absolutely correct to ask about iTunes given the fact that it is the largest purveyor of digital music (and apparently music in any form) in the world. What would happen if . . . well. . . something happened and the iTunes store shuddered its doors. I am sure folks buying MS Music (or whatever it is called) did not really think through the long-term "what ifs". They just thought that MS is a large company and so their investment in this new digital music thing is safe. Now look. . .
