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If hacking back becomes law, what could possibly go wrong?
Representative Tom Graves, R-Ga., thinks that when anyone gets hacked -- individuals or companies -- they should be able to "fight back" and go "hunt for hackers outside of their own networks." The Active Cyber Defense Certainty ("ACDC") Act is getting closer to being put before lawmakers, and the congressman trying to make "hacking back" easy-breezy-legal believes it would've stopped the WannaCry ransomware.
NYT: AC/DC's dirty deeds coming to Apple Music, Rdio and Spotify
Seeing as how it's impossible to write a three-chord intro with words, this sentence is just going have to do for now: AC/DC is coming to Spotify and Apple Music. The Australian rock group's catalog will go on the aforementioned streaming services in addition to others like Rdio and Deezer starting today, according to The New York Times. In case you've sworn off classic rock radio, Brian Johnson and Angus Young's tunes should help fill in the gaps between Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd in your playlists. Just think, there's a very real chance that you'll be able to shake it off all night long.
Radical.FM launches free, user-supported digital streaming radio for iPhone
Streaming radio services are pretty common for iPhone; with the release of iOS 7, for example, iPhone users will have access to iRadio, Apple's own streaming radio service. Also in existence at this time are Pandora, Spotify, BBC iPlayer and others. Now a new streaming service, Radical.FM, is arriving with a rather interesting business plan -- they want you to pay them what you feel the service is worth. The free Radical.FM app is available today, and as the name suggests, it appears that the founder seems to wish he was living in the late 1960s -- "Radical is a corporation with a conscience; we believe in a sustainable planet, global humanity and local action. We compensate artists, composers and labels for all the music you stream. And we believe everyone is entitled to a great musical experience, even the unemployed and working poor." As touchy-feely as that sounds, it ignores the fact that all of the other services also compensate artists, composers and labels. And I can't help but thinking that the working stiffs in the world are going to be subsidizing "the unemployed and working poor," as well as everyone else who decides that they don't feel like paying their fair share. Sure, being commercial-free is a nice goal, but altruism doesn't necessarily pay the bills. I'm wondering how long it will take Radical.FM to resort to the PBS/NPR model of "no advertising," but tons of blurbs for corporate sponsors as well as monthly beg-a-thons for support. The app itself is unexciting. You sign in or create a new account -- it said that my attempt to sign in with a Facebook account was rejected due to my security settings -- and then select the stations you want to listen to. Being a true child of the '60s and '70s, I picked '70s Classic Rock as my first station... which ended up being called "My First Station." At least you can rename the stations. There's a "tune station" feature that makes no sense, using a + and - continuum to do something to the station -- what it does, I have no clue. An explanation in the app of what this feature does would be helpful. Does it skew the music towards the beginning or end of an era? Does it give a Led Zeppelin channel more or less Jimmy Page? Who knows? As it is, you're presented with a grid of album covers, with the playlist set up to go from top-left to bottom-right. The album containing the song you're listening to covers up six of the other album covers, and features a progress bar for the song in question. A simple play/pause button is located at the bottom-left of the screen, and there's a "fast-forward" button if you absolutely cannot stand the song you're listening to. Unlike the "commercial" streaming stations, Radical.FM provides no way to purchase a song that you like. iRadio has a simple button at the top of each song page with the price clearly listed: if I want to buy it and add it to my iTunes library, it's a simple tap away. Even Pandora lets you opt into purchasing a song that you may have loved years ago, but totally forgot about. It seems like selling music through Radical.FM would be a great funding opportunity, so it's odd that the service doesn't offer any way to buy songs or albums. One feature of Radical.FM that is touted quite heavily is the service's 25 million song library, which contains -- and I quote -- "online rarities like The Beatles, AC/DC and Bob Seger." That's quite interesting to hear, since I can't seem to get away from AC/DC on the iRadio beta; Bob Seger shows up between the ads on Pandora with no problems (even on the free version); and the Beatles are easily accessible on Pandora as well. Anyway, it's a new service, a new app and a new day. In the end, Radical.FM may end up being the most successful streaming radio service on the 'net. It's up to you, the consumer, to decide whether you want to try the service and how much you want to donate to Radical.FM. In the end, perhaps my lack of faith in the generosity of the general public may be overpowered by all of you opening your wallets.
Daily Update for November 19, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
AC/DC releases full catalog to iTunes Store
For those about to buy the entire AC/DC catalog mastered for iTunes, we salute you. Every album from the classic Aussie hard rock band, about to celebrate 40 years as a successful act, is now available on the iTunes Store around the world. Two collections are available: The Collection (US$99.99), which includes all AC/DC studio albums, and The Complete Collection ($149.99) with all studio albums, live albums and box sets. If you're just a fan of a single AC/DC tune, you can purchase it in the same "Mastered for iTunes" digital format. The full press release from Apple and Columbia Records is listed below. Show full PR text AC/DC Now on iTunes AC/DC's Complete Catalog Available Digitally for the First Time; All Tracks Mastered for iTunes NEW YORK and CUPERTINO, California-November 19, 2012-Columbia Records and Apple® today announced that AC/DC's entire catalog is now available digitally for the first time exclusively on the iTunes Store® worldwide (www.itunes.com). From their 1976 debut High Voltage to seminal classic Back In Black and 2008 smash hit Black Ice, every one of AC/DC's 16 studio albums, along with four live albums and three compilation albums, are available for the first time ever on the iTunes Store. All tracks are Mastered for iTunes®, and fans have the ability to download full albums or simply purchase their favorite individual songs. Fans can also choose from two specially packaged digital compilations: The Complete Collection, the complete iTunes-exclusive AC/DC catalog; and The Collection, which includes all 16 studio albums. AC/DC's thunderous and primal rock and roll has excited fans for generations with their raw and rebellious brand of music, which also resonates with millions of new fans discovering AC/DC everyday. Their growing legion of fans will now experience the intensity of AC/DC's music in a way it has never been heard before. AC/DC's music has been Mastered for iTunes, ensuring the music is delivered to listeners with increased audio fidelity, more closely replicating what the artists, recording engineers and producers intended. The full catalog which has all been Mastered for iTunes includes: Collections The Collection (all studio albums for $99.99) The Complete Collection (all studio albums, live albums and box sets for $149.99) 16 Studio Albums High Voltage (1976) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) Let There Be Rock (1977) Powerage (1978) Highway To Hell (1979) Back In Black (1980) For Those About To Rock We Salute You (1981) Flick Of The Switch (1983) 74 Jailbreak (1984) Fly On The Wall (1985) Who Made Who (1986) Blow Up Your Video (1988) The Razors Edge (1990) Ballbreaker (1995) Stiff Upper Lip (2000) Black Ice (2008) 4 Live Albums If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978) Live (1992) Live (2 Volume Collector's Edition) (1992) Live At River Plate (2012) 3 Compilation Albums Bonfire (1997) Backtracks audio (2009) Iron Man 2 soundtrack (2010) The iTunes Store is the world's most popular music store with a catalog of over 26 million songs and over 20 billion songs downloaded, and is available in 63 countries. The iTunes Store is the best way for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod®, Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. All music on the iTunes Store comes in iTunes Plus®, Apple's DRM-free format with high-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings. iTunes in the Cloud lets you download your previously purchased iTunes music to all your iOS devices at no additional cost, and new music purchases can be downloaded automatically to all your devices. Columbia Records is one of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, and is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
Transphorm promises brickless laptop chargers, power savings aplenty
Stop us if you've heard this one before. A mysterious startup company operates in secret for a number of years, raises millions in funding from some of the biggest players in the industry (in this case, Google and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers), and announces a breakthrough technology that promises to change everything. In this case the startup is a company called Transphorm, and the breakthrough is a gallium nitride technology that promises to improve AC/DC transformers. While that might not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, the company's CEO says that it could not only drastically reduce the electricity wasted by electronics that currently rely on silicon components, but significantly reduce the size of the components as well. One prime example there is laptop charger bricks, which Transphorm says could be reduced or even completely eliminated by building the necessary components right into the laptop itself. The company also sees a huge opportunity with electric cars, and especially data centers, which is one of the first markets it will be targeting. Of course, complete details are still fairly light at the moment, but the company is promising to unveil its first products in just two weeks, and you can be sure we'll be watching.
Remote Auxiliary Power System recharges our special forces straight from overhead power lines (video)
If you're the type who gets a little nervous connecting jumper cables to your Accord after you forgot and left the trunk open overnight (again), this is one military gadget you will probably not be coveting. It's called RAPS: the Remote Auxiliary Power System. US Air Force Spec Ops personnel requested "something like Batman" that would enable them to add some juice to their night vision goggles, GPS units, and Hello Kitty media players while in the field, and this is the result. When thrown over a power line it makes contact with the bare ground and then cuts through the insulation into the live wire within, pulling the power down to an AC/DC transformer built into the spool. This device has proven safe for use in the rain and even underwater, but we're thinking we'd rather sing "Kumbayah" to ourselves than recharge our iPods in this manner. Video demonstration after the break, which also explains where the power actually comes from!
AC/DC, back in screens
If you're on the fence about whether or not to pick up the next Rock Band track pack, then these screens should help to assure you that everything is just like Rock Band, except with AC/DC. Does it look like $40? That probably depends on how you feel about the eighteen songs on the track list. The AC/DC Live Rock Band Track Pack is scheduled for November 16.%Gallery-36121% Gallery: Rock Band
Rock Band AC/DC will have 'unique' Trophies
Update: Unfortunately, this one's wrong. AC/DC will not have Trophies.So there might be one good thing about Rock Band AC/DC being a disc-based release, and not a downloadable add-on pack. It seems that the game will have its own Trophies, which will apparently be "unique" and will include song-specific tasks. Hopefully that means little-to-no crossover with Rock Band 2. The news comes directly from a developer on the Rock Band forums. If you do want to earn these Trophies, however, chances are you'll need to play directly from the disc, rather than importing the tracks into Rock Band 2, but that has yet to be confirmed.Is this enough to get you to pick it up, even if you're not a great fan of AC/DC (or of Walmart)? Are you still annoyed the "game" isn't just a downloadable track pack? Vent your spleen in our comments section.[Via X3F]
AC/DC track pack to include Achievements, Trophies
It's difficult for us to get excited about anything nowadays unless it includes some method of bolstering our confidence in our own talents. Imagine our delight when we read a recent Rock Band forum post by a Harmonix employee, who confirmed that the recently announced Rock Band 2 AC/DC track pack will have its own unique Achievements/Trophies. While the logistics of how this will work are hazy (will they be added to the pre-existing awards of Rock Band 2, or only be accessible from the AC/DC disc?), we can't wait to see how our duck walk stacks up to Angus Young's.
Rock Band AC/DC tracks can only be transfered once per disc
After yesterday's announcement of the AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack, featuring all the tracks from the Live at the Donington album, Variety got a few more details from MTV's Paul DeGooyer. Most importantly, DeGooyer said the transfer can only be done once per disc, confirming initial indication of a download code printed on the game manual and expectedly void after use. Hear that gurgle? That's the collective sound of all those Blockbuster patrons' sinking hearts. The Track Pack disc also lacks a character creator and has no online play, although you can use the AC/DC tracks online with RB1 and RB2. Unlike Guitar Hero Aerosmith, you will not be playing as the band. The good news is that all songs will be available immediately -- no need to wade through "Whole Lotta Rosie" to play "Heatseeker."And if you're wondering whether or not "Thunderstruck" will be making a cameo on Guitar Hero: World Tour, DeGooyer said that AC/DC are exclusive to Rock Band "for a term" but provided no information on whether or not there will be future DLC from the band. The AC/DC Track Pack will be rocking and saluting in early November.[Via X3F]
AC/DC Live Rock Band Track Pack out November 16, is not dirt cheap [update]
For those about to rock ... EA would like to sell you a disc! The company has announced a collection of live recordings from AC/DC to be released on November 16 for Wii in the US for $40, and in other regions "starting in December." Pricing for other regions can be found at the link.The AC/DC Live Rock Band Track Pack will contain 18 songs pulled from years of AC/DC live recordings, in a new mix created specifically for Rock Band. The press release for the disc promises "more than 99 minutes of game play for each instrument." Check out the list of songs after the break! It's ... pretty much exactly what you'd expect from an AC/DC collection!The press release says that all tracks from this collection will be playable in both Rock Band and Rock Band 2 on the PS3 and 360 via an authentication code. But it's also a standalone game (and, in the Wii's case, apparently just a standalone game), so you don't actually have to have either Rock Band game to play it. Just instruments.[Update: Like the new AC/DC album, this game is Wal-Mart exclusive.]%Gallery-19119%
AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack on Nov. 2 at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club [update]
Update 2: The "Track Pack" has been confirmed by Harmonix and MTV Games and will be available exclusively at Walmart and Sam's Club beginning in November*. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will be available in the U.S. on Nov. 2nd for Xbox 360, PS3 and PS2 and on Nov. 16th for Wii. The disc will retail for $39.88 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii and $29.88 for PS2. The AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack will also be available at most major retailers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in early December. All tracks from the disc will be available for play in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 by entering a special export authentication code for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.*AC/DC's forthcoming album, Black Ice, will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club on Oct. 20th for $11.88, as well as on the band's website. (Full track listing and original post after the break!)
Rock Band 2 on-disc track list revealed, features over 80 songs
Harmonix has just unveiled the full song set list for the upcoming Rock Band 2. There will be a whopping 84 songs on the disc, and an additional 20 songs available as free DLC after the game's release. The set list is comprised entirely of master recordings, and features AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Pearl Jam and more.The entire list is available after the cut.
