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UK music industry pushes for a new tax on CD copying
Before October 1st this year, you were probably a criminal. On that day, UK copyright law changed to include a private copying exception that, simply put, means you're allowed to copy media for your own personal use (not distribution, obviously). This is especially important when it comes to music. Although it might be hard to believe, if you've ever ripped a CD and moved the digital copies to an MP3 player or your phone, you were technically committing a crime.
Rock out with Grand Theft Auto 5's OST on vinyl, CD this holiday
Grand Theft Auto 5 is kicking it old-school with limited edition soundtrack bundles in CD and vinyl formats, available online and at retail starting December 9. The soundtrack collections are limited to a production run of fewer than 5,000 units worldwide. There's no word on price just yet. The CD collection includes three discs, a USB drive branded with the GTA5 lettering and in the form of a gold brick, artwork, and a poster. The vinyl set comprises six colorful records, a full-color booklet and an exclusive lithograph poster. The collections include 59 tracks, "with original music from A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Twin Shadow, Wavves, Flying Lotus, Yeasayer and more. In addition, these limited editions will feature the original score composed by Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist + Oh No, mixed by DJ Shadow," Rockstar says. Rockstar recently reminded hopeful Xbox One, PS4 and PC GTA5 players that there is no beta on those systems – if you see an invite for one, run far, far away. GTA5 is due out for next-gen systems on November 18 and for PC in 2015.
Spotify who? Most of Japan's music sales are CDs
Japan may be on the cutting edge of everything from servant robots to tech-laden toilets, but music? Not so much, it seems. Old-fashioned CDs still make up 85 percent of the country's music sales despite years of declining volume, and the Recording Industry Association of Japan notes that internet-based sales actually shrank from $1 billion in 2009 to about $400 million in 2013. In short, the physical-to-digital transition that took hold elsewhere has fallen flat in the Land of the Rising Sun, where people are simply buying less music overall.
Amazon rewinds to 1994 to remind you how good music was back then
Jeff Bezos must be an Oasis fan, because Amazon UK has gone all retro to mark the 20th anniversary of the band's iconic Definitely Maybe debut album. If you pop on over to Amazon's Music section right now, you'll see what the company thinks its store might have looked like back in the mid-nineties. Three Oasis videos are available in the Amazon Artist Lounge, including live performances of Digsy's Dinner and Live Forever, which are also available as free music downloads. To keep things authentic, Amazon features the exact album chart from May 16th 1994 as well as "new and future releases" from the Manics, Pulp and The Prodigy. If it's got you feeling nostalgic, then why not crack out that old Weezer CD and celebrate the very best nineties music had to offer, dodgy graphics and all.
Cuba's first independent digital news will be sent via cellphones and flash drives
Cubans haven't had an above-ground, independent digital news outlet in their country so far -- not surprising when their government only allowed personal cellphone and computer sales six years ago. However, all that's set to change when blogger Yoani Sanchez launches her digital newspaper 14ymedio on May 21st. Rather than simply publish news on the web, the team will get the word out through whatever technology Cubans can use: cellphones, email, CDs and even USB flash drives are fair game.
The Library of Congress is wrecking CDs to learn how to save them
Like it or not, CDs rot over time -- your well-worn copy of Soundgarden's Superunknown might not play anymore. Just how they rot is frequently a mystery, though, which is why the Library of Congress is currently destroying CDs (including those you donate) in hopes of improving its archival techniques. Researchers are using a combination of artificial aging tests and simple observations to see what factors trigger decay, sometimes with surprising results. As the Library tells The Atlantic, data loss varies widely between manufacturing processes, the lasers in CD players and even individual discs; experimenters can subject two identical copies of an album to extreme heat and lose only one of them.
Sony discussing 'how and when' the PS4 will get CD and MP3 playback
News that the PS4 can't play MP3s or CDs out of the box caught many off guard, and it turns out the backlash also surprised Shuhei Yoshida, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios head, and other folks at the company. While Yoshida previously announced that he'd conferred with the PS4 developer team about the matter, he revealed in an interview with Giant Bomb that "the systems guys are discussing how and when we can put these features on PS4." In addition, the head honcho says DLNA support is being looked at as well. Oh, and stow away your tinfoil hats, as the PlayStation boss says the functionality omission wasn't part of an elaborate ploy to rack up more Music Unlimited subscriptions. Instead, he says game features took priority when it came to launch day software, while media-focused ones took the back seat. "We didn't really think about MP3 or DLNA," Yoshida said. "We thought, 'we're going to do that eventually.' We've been doing it with all the products, so it caught us off guard." For now, you can rely on your Xbox One to spin your CDs -- and play MP3s as a PlayTo device -- or blow some dust off that stereo system of yours.
Sony discussing MP3, CD playback in PS4 after surprising fan feedback
When Sony outlined the PS4's hardware features in October, some potential customers were so shocked that the console wouldn't support MP3 files or CDs that they vowed to cancel their pre-orders. President of Sony Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida was surprised by such a heated response. "The biggest surprise for us all internally at Sony was there are so many people who passionately reacted to our announcement that there's no MP3 support or CD support on day one," Yoshida said on Giant Bomb's Interview Dumptruck, caught by Eurogamer. "It's not like we actively decided, 'Let's not do this feature so people will have to subscribe to Music Unlimited. The focus has been more on the game features. Some of the features we wanted but we couldn't get in on day one." The PS4 team in Japan is figuring out the best way to implement the missing media features, Yoshida said: "We didn't really think about MP3 or CD. We thought, 'We're going to do that eventually ....' It caught us off-guard. People don't really talk about these features, right? Some people get really mad and [say,] 'I'll cancel my pre-order!' So as we speak, people in Japan – the system guys – are discussing when we can put these features in." People certainly started talking about media features after Sony's announcement – we asked you (yes, you!) if musical freedom was important in a console, with poll results and your comments compiled here.
Official PlayStation 4 FAQ explains what the system can (and can't) do
Sony has built a reputation of releasing numerous updates to its PlayStation platform, and apparently that has carried over to PS4 news ahead of launch. If last week's updates weren't enough, the company posted a massive FAQ (yes, we read all 30 pages, including the list of launch titles) to the PlayStation Blog today, explaining a few details we weren't clear on. For starters, the PS4 can't stream media from your home network like its predecessor could. Sony's next-gen console also won't play MP3s or CDs, and the only way of using your own background music in-game is via Sony's Music Unlimited service. PlayStation's Head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida addressed concerns about this on Twitter, saying he'd share feedback with the PS4 dev team for future consideration (update: He's expanded on the statement, saying the team is "happy & appreciative to learn so many people use and like PS3's media features"). Whether you still like it or not, you're stuck with your old PSN ID too. Another "can't" relates to cached game data. If you rent Knack and a few weeks later want to buy a digital copy from the PSN Store, you can't simply grab an activation code to use with the data cached to your hard drive, you have to download the full game. The tech giant also shed new light on a few audio-related aspects of the PS4. Out of the box, you'll be able to output all game audio through the DualShock 4's 3.5mm headset jack. However, it isn't until after the V1.5 Day One patch that "most" USB headsets will be usable with the system. The former likely means audio will be limited to stereo unless the controller is packing some sort of DSP on-board, while the latter presumably enables chat functionality for higher-end cans. We've reached out to Sony for clarification and will update this post if we hear back. Until then, keep the FAQ in an open browser tab -- Sony promised it will keep patching adding to it leading up to and after the PS4's launch.
LightScribe software for optical disc labels finally updated
Optical discs... Apple hates them, but lots of people still use them. Blu-ray has been a relatively slow starter in the computer world and we will never see that technology in an Apple product. LightScribe software has been around since 2004 when HP brought it to market. If you had a LightScribe-compatible disc burner, you could use a LightScribe-branded CD or DVD and create a label using the laser in the CD burner. It could be plain text, or even etched photographs on the label. It was a great system, but when Apple updated to a new version of Mac OS X the LightScribe software tended to fail, and you were back to using an ink marker or a stick-on label. Finally, the LightScribe system software has a Mountain Lion-friendly update. The LightScribe free applications are running again, and so are some of the third-party apps I've tested. The LightScribe free apps give you pretty basic disc labels, but Roxio Toast and apps like Disc Cover 3 (now on sale for US$14.99 through the Mac app store) can output some very detailed and attractive discs. If you already have a LightScribe-enabled disc burner, rejoice. If you don't have one, it's dead easy to burn permanent labels on your optical discs. LightScribe-enabled DVD burners are available from Samsung, LG, LaCie and others. Other World Computing keeps a good stock of LightScribe hardware and blank discs. Hopefully, HP will do a better job of keeping its software up to date, because optical discs are not dead, and Apple's OS X Mavericks is just around the corner. We can't be sure HP will stay committed to LightScribe forever. Updates may remain spotty on both the Mac and Windows side, but the LightScribe software is working now, so grab it if you like LightScribe and its easy labeling features.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite long-cooldown skill?
In Guild Wars 2, one of my favorite skills to use is the ability to unleash a cranky mechanical golem upon my foes. It only lasts for 40 seconds and has (I think) an 180-second cooldown, which means I don't get to use it as often as I'd like. However, it always makes me absurdly happy to pull it out, and I wonder if the long cooldown is one of the reasons I appreciate it so much. It's pretty common for developers to balance powerful skills with a lengthy cooldown, leaving the choice up to the player as to when and where it's best to unleash hell. It's not uncommon to be in a dungeon run and have the leader instruct players to pop their cooldowns on difficult fights; sometimes that long-cooldown skill is what makes the difference between victory and defeat. So what's your favorite long-cooldown skill? When do you tend to use it? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Yamaha intros mini audio systems with iOS remote control, explosion of colors
We're well acquainted with both connected bookshelf audio systems and colorful speakers -- seeing both in one place, though, is still a rarity. Yamaha reckons the two aren't mutually exclusive. Its MCR-B142 and MCR-042 both put out 30W of sound taken from a 30-pin Apple device dock, USB, aux-in or old-fashioned CDs, but they also come in 10 different colors; anyone who's wanted a purple stereo to match their crushed velvet decor will be right at home. Both the B142 and a more subdued, desktop-sized TSX-B232 will also receive audio through Bluetooth, and a free iOS app lets us steer the two systems without leaving the couch. These ship later this month along with the B232's wireless-free sibling, the TSX-132. Just be ready to pay a premium -- the roster starts at $400 for the MCR-042, and scales up to $550 for the TSX-B232.
The CD celebrates its 30th birthday, recalls a time when it was cool to play music with lasers
Like so many other technologies, it's tough to pin down an exact birthday for the compact disc. If we're tracing things back to the world of LaserDisc as a potential commercial product, we're talking years or decades earlier. As far as laboratory testing is concerned for the tech as we've come to know, love and subsequently abandon, the we're going back to the mid-70s in our journey. For the sake of simplicity, let's go with the first commercial record to be released on the format. That would be 52nd Street by one William Martin Joel, a release that came a few years after the album's issuing on vinyl, to coincide with the Sony's CDP-101, which let audiophiles do more than just stare in wonder at the shiny plastic disc they just bought.
Kid Koala bundles working cardboard gramophone with album, spurs on budding turntablists (video)
If you've been enough of a Kid Koala fan to have heard his original Scratchcratchratchatch mixtape, you'll remember a sample that mentioned building a "finger-powered record player." Kid Koala, also known as Eric San, certainly remembers -- buy the Limited Edition of his recently launched 12 Bit Blues album and you'll get your own functional, build-it-yourself cardboard gramophone along with a playable disc. The only further requirements are a sewing pin and some hand power. It's cheaper than tracking down the real thing, and a nod both to San's turntablist style as well as the back-to-basics nature of the music. We call it clever and potentially inspiring; just remember that you'll want some proper equipment before you DJ any house parties.
Fujitsu making laptops from unwanted CDs and DVDs
Back in our day, we used to listen to music on shiny plastic discs with lasers, not any of your new-fangled Zunes and what not. That was back when bands had sensible names, like the Dave Clark Five. These days, however, CDs and DVDs are remnants of a simpler time, a time before these kids were playing their Lady Gagas on their Rio Carbons. Fujitsu will be putting those outdated media formats to work again, with a recycling program that uses the material to build shiny new notebooks, starting with the Lifebook P772/E enterprise laptop, with more models to follow. According to the company, the new program is set to reduce the use of new plastic by 10 tons a year and slice C02 emissions by around 15 percent. More information on the program can be found after the break. Now please get off our lawn.
Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October
Sony has been big on smartphone integration for car audio lately, having already launched its MirrorLink receivers earlier in the year for the more well-heeled drivers among us. The company is bringing that mobile tie-in down to Earth through a new quartet of in-car CD receivers. The MEX-GS600BT, MEX-BT4100P, MEX-BT3100P and CDX-GS500R all bring in App Remote, which lets the faceplate buttons steer local music or Pandora streaming radio coming from Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Walkman devices paired through a Bluetooth wireless link. The old-fashioned USB connection is still on offer for these and the HD Radio-toting CDX-GT710HD, while the whole collection can graft on the optional SXV200V1 tuner to carry the full Sirius XM satellite radio lineup. Differences across the line aren't completely clear from Sony's wording, although both the MEX-GS600BT and CDX-GS500R carry two USB ports as well as 5-volt RCA preamp outputs. You'll be waiting awhile to slip any of these receivers into a DIN slot, regardless of which one you pick: the GS500R ships in October for $199, and the rest hit the shops in November for between $149 to $249. %Gallery-162517%
KCRW launches MALCOLM music service to help indie bands in need
Being a DJ at radio station can be an embarrassment of riches. And really, who's going to listen to you complain about having too much music to listen to? Santa Monica's terrifically wonderful public radio station KCRW is looking to take a little bit of the pain of finding new music for its DJs, with the launch of MALCOLM, a site that lets artists submit their music for consideration -- a nice attempt at continued outreach in a medium so dominated by charts and major label interference. Bands can create profiles with images, bios and social media links, alongside up to three tracks. MALCOLM serves as a bit of a social network for the station's DJs, letting them share tracks and interact with profiles, alerting artists via email when someone has commented on or rated their listing. More information on the service, which borrows its name from KCRW's old internal record filing system, can be found in the press release after the break. Interested bands can submit songs in the source link below.
Samsung intros 'world's thinnest' external DVD writer, tries to convince you to pack it with your tablet
Generally, a new optical disk drive is nothing to write home about, but how about one that's specifically purposed for tablets and Ultrabooks? That's the pitch Samsung is selling for its SE-218BB DVD / CD writer, which the company claims is the world's thinnest external ODD -- because what better to go with your svelte computing devices than more pluggable doohickeys? Cynicism aside, Samsung says this $60 add-on is just 14mm tall, "18 percent thinner than conventional DVD writers" and eight percent less weighty than its standard DVD ODD. The bus-powered unit connects via USB, and it'll work with Macs, PCs and devices running Android 3.1 and up. Oddly fascinated? The drive is currently on sale worldwide if you're willing carry it along with you. You'll find full details in the press release after the break.
Digital music finally outsells physical media, books look on in alarm
That sharp sucking of air you heard at the end of 2010, well, that was the record industry wincing as sales of CDs continued to tumble while digital media sales remained flat. The relieved exhale that you just heard echoing through the atmosphere? That was the collective sigh of executives who just picked up the latest Nielsen report indicating that digital music sales are on the rise again and, for the first time ever, have finally surpassed physical media. Sales as a whole were up, but while CDs were down 5.7 percent, digital track sales were up 8.4 percent and digital albums a stunning 19.5 percent (perhaps most interestingly, though, vinyl was up over 36 percent). CDs still outsell virtual albums by a factor of two, but it's clear the trend toward binary media is back on track. It may be a narrow victory but, with 50.3 percent of the market, audio files are new king of the hill. Check out the full report at the source.
Pioneer unveils world's smallest and lightest external Blu-ray burner
When describing the current fleet of BD burners on the market, one word that certainly doesn't come to mind -- sleek. Pioneer is aiming to change all that, though, with the BDR-XD04. What it lacks in a catchy name it makes up for with a slim and light clamshell design that doesn't make too many sacrifices in the features department. At just under 8.5oz and 0.55 inches thick, it puts most of its competitors to shame. Now, it settles for just a 6x write speed and skips USB 3.0 in favor of the more common (and slower) 2.0, but it is capable of drawing power entirely from your machines peripheral ports. (Though, you'll have the option of hooking up an AC adapter if you wish.) And don't worry about format support -- the BDR-XD04 will handle everything from quad-layer 128GB BD-Rs to old-school CDs with aplomb. The slim new burner will start shipping in the middle of this month for $150. Full PR is after the break.
