By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Believe it or not, musicians may actually start making money from streamed content distributed online.

An announcement was made today that online music services, record labels, music publishers, and songwriters have actually reached a mutual agreement in regards to royalties of content distributed online.

According to the agreement, online services (Napster, Rhapsody) offering limited downloads and streaming content must pay a mechanical royalty of 10.5 percent of revenue after other royalties are calculated. Services offering permanent media downloads (iTunes, Amazon MP3, Wal-Mart) will not be affected, as they already pay the royalty fee.

"This agreement provides a flexible structure to support innovative business models in the digital music marketplace that will benefit music fans, creators and online services," said Mitch Bainwol, Chairman, and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The RIAA is one of five trade groups involved with the pending agreement. Others include the Songwriters Guild of America, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, the National Music Publishers’ Association, and the Digital Media Association.

The Copyright Royalty Judges will make a final ruling on October 2. If ruled in favor of the agreement, the new mechanical royalty would finally settle a financial dispute between the music industry and online music sites.

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By Aaron Heibert - Source : Tom's Hardware

It seems as though Microsoft is taking complaints about bloating in Windows Vista seriously and has decided to leave a few features off the plate for Windows 7.

Features such as Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker will be left out of Windows 7. Instead, Microsoft plans to offer Windows Live equivalents of these products for free as optional downloads.

These applications, including earlier versions of them under different names (Outlook Express) have been included since Windows XP. The problem is that consumers largely complained that Microsoft confuses the consumer by offering two different applications with similar functionality. According to Brian Hall – Windows Live General Manager – the move stems from “a desire to issue operating system release more quickly than it has in the past.”

These changes could also explain why recent screenshots of Windows 7 in action portray some of the basic applications such as WordPad, Paint and Calculator having a more polished look to them. According to blogs, forums and other tech sites, some people feel that the move to remove these applications is smart one.

For the record – a lot of Internet Service Provider packages bundled with service offerings typically include things such as antivirus, firewall software and means to easily setup and access your newly created email accounts using either their customized software or other third-party vendor software. Also to mention the inclusion of Windows Mail could possibly be taking away from purchases of Outlook along with other office suite software.

Maybe it is that Microsoft feels including mail client software with its operating system is a waste of time since the introduction of Windows Live Mail – which is more portable for the consumer anyways. Portability for mail is becoming more and more common. People access their mail from home, school, work or while on vacation.

There has not been any indications of other features being dropped at this time.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Yahoo’s new board members have decided that they actually want to get warm and fuzzy with AOL.

According to the Financial Times, Yahoo will begin talks with Ted Turner’s multi-media kingdom (Time Warner) to discuss the future of its AOL division. Earlier this year, the two companies began negotiations to merge both internet businesses. However, those talks eventually stalled.

It’s no secret that Yahoo has been negotiating with everyone under the sun, searching for ways to deflect Microsoft’s unsolicited attack. With the beast back in the cave and pondering over other prey, now it seems that the search-engine giant has set its loving eyes on the befallen AOL after all.

But in 2008, AOL has been reduced to a meager "division" rather than the internet mammoth it once was in the late 90’s / early 2000’s. Time Warner’s CEO Jeff Bewkes said that the company will split AOL’s access and media units into separate entities next year, and there’s even talks about closing AOL altogether. The staggering internet service lost 604,000 subscribers in the 2nd quarter of 2008 alone, with its operating income dropping down 36 precent.

Yahoo’s decision to discuss AOL with Time Warner comes as the result of an internal conflict within the Yahoo boardroom itself. Now with activist investor Carl Icahn and his two allies seated at the table, the once defunct talks with Time Warner now press on. If both companies can strike a deal, will Yahoo users be stricken down by the "You’ve Got Mail!" sound byte? Only time will tell.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Google’s new Chrome web browser apparently has lost its charm according to statistics gathered by Net Applications.

According to the company, both Internet Explorer and Firefox lost a handful of users when the browser debut September 2. Touted as a browser that combines "a minimal design with sophisticated technology," Chrome was to make browsing the internet safer and faster than its competitors. Enticed consumers quickly flocked to Google’s download section to test-drive the new software. Google, already throned upon its mounds of cash, saw the browser scoop up almost 1.4 percent market share at its peak; it generated a whopping 0.5 percent market share just two hours after its initial release.

But three weeks later, Chrome users are returning home to Internet Explorer and Firefox. It’s not uncommon to see consumers jump ship and try the newest product. However, Chrome users have discovered that not only is the browser still in its unpolished beta stage, but it implements an alarming keystroke collection attribute built right into the auto-suggest feature. Privacy advocates lashed out at Google, thus convincing the internet giant to anonymize all user data received through search requests beginning September 12.

"Given the concerns that have been raised about Google storing this information—and its limited potential use—we [have] decided that we will anonymize it within about 24 hours (basically, as soon as we practically can) in the two percent of Google Suggest requests we use," wrote Google’s Senior Vice President of Operations Urs Hölzle. "This will take a little time to implement, but we expect it to be in place before the end of the month."

Despite Google’s attempts to regroup, Net Applications reported on Tuesday that Internet Explorer has regained its footing with a strong 72.15 percent market share. This is good news for Bill and the Gang, as the Windows-based browser took the biggest percentile hit when Goggle’s Chrome browser hit the internet, dropping 1.4 percent and ending Chrome’s debut week with a 71 percent share.

"IE took the entire market share hit from Chrome," Net Applications’ executive vice president of marketing Vince Vizzaccaro told Computer World. "And the rest of the alternative browsers all had gains as well."

Indeed, Tuesday’s report also showed that Mozilla’s Firefox browser came in second, owning 20 percent of the market while Apple’s Safari trotted along with a meager 6.37 percent share. Strangely enough, all non-Microsoft browsers actually reported gains upon Chrome’s release.

Because Google’s Chrome browser is still in beta, it’s unfair to judge the software in its present condition. Still, one can’t help but wonder why users are returning to the old "tried but true" browsers. Time - as well as a little polishing - will tell if Chrome will rise back up in the ranks once again.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Once again, infamous moviemaker Michael Moore has entered the spotlight, this time with an online documentary that viewers can download and share for free.

Director Michael Moore, notorious for his documentaries Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, as well as his controversial view on fire sharing, released his latest political movie not in theaters, but online.

Entitled "Slacker Uprising," this free downloadable movie chronicles Moore’s 2004 journey across the undecided "swing states" as he attempted to sway young voters from re-electing George W. Bush for another 4-year run. Covering a whopping 52-city stretch over a short span of 42 days, the events that transpired during his journey both frightened and inspired the director, thus resulting in his latest documentary. Along with Michael Moore, the film includes celebrity guest appearances such as Rosanne Barr, Eddie Vedder, Viggo Mortensen, Joan Baez, REM, and more.

"This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans," says Moore on the official Slacker Uprising website. "The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters ever at the polls in November." Moore claims that his 2004 tour actually helped boost young voter registrations during the Bush/Kerry election even though the youth vote "was the only age group that John Kerry won."

It’s certainly no surprise that Moore gives a firm thumbs up on distributing his movie freely. Recently he came under fire for expressing his opinions on file sharing during in a recent interview (YouTube link), claiming that he had no problem with fans sharing his work as long as no profits were made from the exchange (as in selling his movies). "Information, art and ideas should be shared," he admits. His philosophy is that everyone shares copyright material on a low-level basis, from books to newspapers to DVDs.

With the release of Slacker Uprising, Moore not only follows through with his file sharing morals, but attempts to re-connect with young voters in hopes to increase the turnout once again. The full-length documentary can be downloaded or streamed from the Slacker Uprising website (registration required). However, the streaming version can also be accessed via Amazon Video On Demand, iTunes, Lycos and more. Schools can request a free copy of the DVD version.

The physical retail DVD will cost consumers $9.95, available at most online retail outlets including Amazon and Wal-Mart.

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By Aaron Heibert - Source : Tom's Hardware

It appears that IBM is feeling a little ‘left-out’ when it comes to organizations that set the standards for software interoperability with concerns that their processes are not always fair. IBM has published its own set of guidelines that it would like follow. The new guidelines include encouraging standards bodies to have rules to protect their decisions from what IBM refers to as ‘undue-influence’ – apparently a clear stab at Microsoft.

Microsoft had submitted OOXML to the ISO under a ‘fast-track process’ which some competing opponents believed was too rushed and resulted in a poor quality standard. Ranging from end users, corporate users to technical experts – questions have been raised many times regarding the need for another standardized electronic document format.

IBM was one of the first entities to chime in with opposition over the file format created by Microsoft and approved by the International Organization Standardization. Part of the specification (OOXML) is used in Microsoft’s latest Office 2007 productivity suite, but is not 100 percent implemented either.

IBM’s new guidelines were drawn up from recommendations from a six week, Web-based consultation held back in May and June of this year. The consultation involved more than 70 experts which discussed how the creation of standards could be improved to better suit everyone. OOXML has been criticized for being too complex of a format. Microsoft has also been accused of pressuring other countries to support and adopt the standard, which left companies such as IBM in the dust. IBM has remained a long time supporter of the OpenDocument Format (ODF).

IBM believes that the guidelines it has set forth are based on the belief that open standards increase the range of software products that are interchangeable. Standards prevent one software vendor from capturing a large part of a market by locking users into a proprietary format which hinders their ability to easily switch to another products

Call me crazy, but this is what Microsoft pressed to do with the OOXML. If Microsoft didn’t want to get a standardized playing field, they wouldn’t have done this in the first place. It seems as though IBM is just a little angry that they didn’t get to it first – thus the public threats to leave the standards bodies.

Experts believe that if IBM were to make good on its threat, withdrawing from a standards body wouldn’t cause one to fall apart. IBM would also suffer. Quoting Andrew Updegrove of Gesmer Updegrove in Boston who studies standards and intellectual-property issues:

“If they decided to drop out of ECMA, that kicks away from them that ability to push its favored standard through the system.”

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By Steve Seguin - Source : Tom's Guide

Fujifilm has developed a 3D camera and means of 3D display, hoping to bring 3D photography to the masses.

Fujifilm has announced it has developed a 3D imaging system that allows photographs to be taken in 3D, digitally displayed in 3D and even printed in 3D. By providing all the needed components of 3D imaging in one complete system, Fujifilm’s broad approach could be the first to successfully bring 3D photography to the mainstream. Despite there being no commercial products currently set for release, details about the Fujifilm Real 3D system have been revealed.

The first component of Fujifilm’s Real 3D system is the 3D camera. The camera features two identical compact lenses and two identical new high-quality imaging sensors that Fujifilm claims, “will take image quality to levels hitherto undreamed of.“ When in 3D-auto mode, the camera is able to determine what shared shooting condition is optimal for both sensors and synchronize that settings across both. After the shutter is triggered, the camera automatically combines the data from both CCD sensors into a single high-quality image. Apparently 3D movies are also possible to create.

While the camera can take 3D photos and movies, its 2.8-inch LCD screen can only display 2D images like a regular digital camera. For actually seeing the photographs in 3D however, Fujifilm has developed an 8.4-inch LCD 3D photo frame with 920,000-pixels. Curiously, if the screen displays two different images at once to achieve the 3D effect, it may mean the effective display resolution of the photo frame would be limited to 410,000-pixels. What is known about the 3D photo frame though is that it can display either 3D or 2D images and it uses a “light direction control module” to make 3D viewing possible without the need for special glasses.

The third aspect of Fujifilm’s 3D system is a new printing solution that allows 3D photos to be printed and viewed without the need for special glasses. Not many details are provided, but the 3D effect is achieved by the use of fine pitch lenticular sheets, which is by no means a new technology. Lenticular sheets have long been used to create animation effects on toys, such as those found in Cracker Jack snack boxes.

Lastly, it seems that 2D photographers will also benefit from Fujifilm’s new 3D system, as a camera with two lenses and two CCD sensors can be used for taking more than just 3D photos. Possibilities include being able to take a wide-angled shot at the same time as taking a telephoto shot or being able to take photos while also recording video. It could even be possible to take two photos at the same time, each with a different exposure setting, giving rise to high dynamic range photo abilities.

There is no mention of when we might expect to see Fujifilm’s Real 3D system in stores, if ever. Although 3D cameras, 3D displays and 3D photographs are not really new ideas, offering such products together as a complete system might entice consumers enough into giving it a try. With television and movies also heading in the direction of 3D, it is unlikely Fujifilm will be the last company to develop a consumer 3D system of its own.

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By Gavin Steacy - Source : Tom's Hardware

On Monday, Intel launched the third generation of its vPro remote management technology. Originally code-named "McCreary," the new platform boasts several new features integrating technologies from Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors, the Q45 Express chipset and Intel’s 82567LM Gigabit Ethernet interface. The semiconductor giant’s Active Management Technology 5.0 is a key part of vPro.

Active Management Technology 5.0 brings several enhancements to vPro. Firstly, the new Remote Alert feature allows a computer which falls outside of what Intel calls "preset parameters" to "call" the IT department for assistance. The PC doesn’t even need to be turned on in order for this to happen. The advantage here is that a business doesn’t need to have as many IT staff on-site ensuring all computers are functioning correctly, cutting costs without cutting corners.

The Remote Scheduled Maintenance feature allows IT administrators to program computers for regular tune-ups which will ensure the PC or laptop "automatically [connects] to an IT management program for maintenance." Fast Call for Help requires a user to enter a key combination which will provide a user with immediate out-of-band assistance even if the PC they are using has a corrupted OS or dead hard drive. Remote PC Assist Technology allows service providers for small businesses to remotely connect to a business PC when a key sequence is entered and utilize the security and management features of vPro to find a solution to the problem.

Monday also saw the launch of two new motherboards from Intel which have full support for the new vPro features, both following the rather unattractive naming style that Intel has used for years. For the desktop arena Intel introduced the DQ45CB, while the DQ45EK fills the gap in the small form factor market.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Hardware

Recently the "in progress" operating system hit Milestone 3 (Build 6780) and has a street date of June 3, 2009. But many web sites that posted videos showcasing cool features discovered in the latest build have up and vanished since early this morning. While there are plenty of screenshots to go around, watching Milestone 3 in action seems out of the question.

“I received an email from a person who claimed to be an Internet Investigator of/for Microsoft and is ‘authorized to act on behalf of Microsoft in this matter,’” claims a blogger over on ThinkNext. “He asked, if not ordered, me to take down those materials (you know what he means). He lists my 2 posts URLs and the images URLs. Duteous man I commit.”

Despite the crackdown by Bill and the Gang, other sources report that Microsoft has implemented the Ribbon user interface - currently found in Office 2007 - into Paint (image) and WordPad (image). Additionally, the feature originally called "Castle" in Windows Codename Longhorn - now renamed as “Home Groups” - makes a return to the Windows platform in Milestone 3, a DNS system of sorts that does not need a dedicated server to distribute identities across the local network. Milestone 3 also sports graphical version of PowerShell Version 2 that allows remote access. For gamers, this screenshot over on Shacknews reveals that Windows 7 will include an automatic game update check, alerting end-users to updates of PC games installed on the system.

Other reports claim that Microsoft has also visually improved the Calculator tool along with adding new features such as date-to-date measurements, unit conversion, Programmer and Statistics modes and even complete history lists. Other hands-on reports claim that the Start Menu button sports more animation than the Vista version while the menu itself is now simplified. "Libraries" has also taken the place of the infamous "My Documents," and Windows Media Player is a lot less bulky as seen in this image here. Additionally, there’s also a program called "Sticky Notes," however that video was removed at the request of Microsoft as well.

With many additions, this latest build also sees the departure of many applications that appeared in early versions of Windows. The ever-useful Calendar, Movie Maker, and Photo Gallery are no longer part of the platform as well as Contacts, Mail and Meeting Space. Apparently, these applications will still be available separately as downloads through Windows Live. But on a positive note, there are reports that Windows 7 will install in ten minutes, a huge leap from the 30 to 60 minute installs of previous versions of Windows.

According to this blog over on ZDNet, Windows 7 does not “look or feel like a major departure from Windows Vista.” Users who initially dreaded the Vista operating system may find this a disappointment, especially for Windows users who refuse to give up the sacred XP. Microsoft plans to release the official Windows 7 beta this December, while shooting to distribute the retail version sometime by the end of 2009 / early 2010.

It’s highly possible that more information surrounding Milestone 3 will re-appear within the next few days. Websites such as ThinkNext hosting material not approved by Microsoft only ask for trouble. Still, readers want to know more about what’s in store for the next Windows platform, and media providers will virtually risk anything to get the news to valued readers. After all, everyone loves a good dose of drama, and there is always some kind of drama surround Windows and its many stages of development. Stay tuned as more slippery Milestone 3 information leaks out!

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

For legit customers, there’s nothing more hateful than the dreaded DRM.

While PC users face anti-piracy software and restrictions on a daily basis via games, music and other software purchases, console gamers are beginning to get a taste of the evil DRM beast.

According to an article over on Ars Technica, PlayStation 3 owners who purchase and download movies through Sony’s PlayStation Network Video Store are only allowed one official download. The files cannot be backed up, or moved to another hard drive. This limitation seems rather harsh considering that hard drives can fail or files can be accidently deleted.

To make room for new content, one Ars Technica reader cleaned off his PlayStation 3 hard drive only to find out that his movie could not be re-downloaded. "You can only download videos once and they are tied to your PS3 forever," reports the reader. "If your PS3 dies or hard drive dies you lose. Don’t get burned like I did."

However, Sony’s rule of thumb about purchasing and downloading video content has been perfectly clear since the service began: "Purchased content can be downloaded to a single PLAYSTATION 3 or a single PSP system. Content cannot be re-downloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system."

PlayStation Network media relations manager Lincoln Davis explained to the Ars Technica website that consumers could actually request one additional download. "If a consumer deletes a purchased movie from their PS3, they will not be able to redownload the movie without assistance from SCEA’s consumer services," he said. "Consumer service can issue a redownload as a one-time courtesy, as provided by our guidelines, for the title to allow the consumer to go back and download the movie from their PSN download list."

Of course, PlayStation 3 owners who rent movies need not worry about the DRM restrictions, as rental movies are only valid for 24 hours. But when system updates brick the console or consumers upgrade the hard drive as permitted by Sony itself, it seems rather excessive to only allow the consumer one official download of the purchased version; that’s $15 gone for good. After all, other downloadable content like full-blown games and add-on packages remain active as long as the consumer’s PlayStation Network account remains valid. Why should video files be handled differently? Namely because the sharing of content is possible on other PlayStation 3 consoles.

In some ways, restricting video downloads makes sense. After all, consumers don’t receive free backup copies of Blu-ray disks when the master copy becomes scratched or cracked. But DRM sucks in any case, and recent escalations of DRM usage in BioShock, Spore and even Windows Genuine Advantage leaves the legit consumer feeling like a victim rather than the protected investor.

Like it or not, DRM is the future of digital media, and now even console owners are feeling the bite of the beast’s evil teeth sinking into their wallets.

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By Kevin Parrish - Source : Tom's Guide

Infogrames/Atari CEO David Gardner told MCV that the company plans to go 90 percent digital within a few years.

This announcement comes at the heels of an agreement made with Japanese publisher and developer Namco Bandai, who now owns 34 percent of Infogrames and will have an option to buy the remaining portion within the next five years. While the distribution side of the merger will handle Infogrames, Namco Bandai and other publishers’ products, Gardner is working to make the Atari label as one of the top-five online brands, straying away from physical, retail products.

After the failed relaunch of the Alone in the Dark franchise - along with the company’s previous financial troubles - it’s no surprise that Atari is looking to regroup again. Currently the company has not outlined specific types of products that will appear on Atari.com, however Paulina Bozek (from Sony’s SingStar franchise) has already signed on to helm the new London studio.

Does this mean that the company is going casual? According to an interview with MCV, Atari president Phil Harrison confirmed that the company would indeed have a strong presence with Xbox Live Arcade and Sony’s PlayStation Network. "And iTunes with the App Store and with Facebook, MySpace etc," he added. "The company will be broadly online distribution agnostic."

Earlier today, Europe’s ELSPA (The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) applauded Atari for its commitment to abandon boxed products. Apparently, this movement solidifies ELSPA’s belief that Europe should embrace PEGI (Pan European Game Information) as the standard ratings system, rather than the current BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) system.

“Atari’s decision to shift retail emphasis to online further emphasizes why the British video game industry specifically favours the PEGI age ratings system," said Paul Jackson, Director General at ELSPA. Jackson spoke out at the Labour Party conference today, claiming that the PEGI system is the only ratings classification that has the power to prevent game publishers from distributing unsuitable content to children.

Additionally, Peter Moore of EA Sports sees total digital distribution in the near future. "So in the future hard drives are going to be bigger, broadband is going to be faster and we’re going to look back and laugh at the fact that we used to drive to the store to buy a piece of plastic with data on it," he told The Guardian in a recent interview. "That business model isn’t going to exist – I don’t know whether it’s going to be five years from now or ten years, but it’s not going to be around anymore."

With Internet stores such as Direct2Drive, Gamers’ Gate, Valve’s Steam service, and even Ted Turner’s GameTap, the shift to total digital retail is getting closer than one might think. This method of content delivery should also strengthen the ESRB’s ability to legislate mature content, a daunting task for many retail outlets.

Only time will tell if Atari’s move towards digital distribution is a sign of economic hardships, or an intelligent step in the right direction.

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By Marcus Yam - Source : Tom's Hardware

We bring you all the relevant details of T-Mobile’s event unveiling the world’s first Android phone.

As was expected, the HTC Dream is the hardware behind the first Android handset. The device, which will be marketed as the G1, features a 3.17-inch 65K touchscreen that runs at 480 x 320 and weighs 5.6 ounces. Black was the only color of the G1 presented on stage, but it will also come in white and brown.

The G1 has a 3.1 megapixel camera, which is expected to be comparable to the rest of the lenses on existing HTC hardware. While not as thin as the iPhone, the G1 still measures slim at 4.60 x 2.16 x 0.62-inches – which is impressive considering that the device slides out sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard.

Being a device so heavily connected to Internet connectivity, the G1 will run on T-Mobile’s 1700 MHz 3G network. It’ll also be a world travelling phone as well, with support for quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G. For those outside of 3G coverage, Wi-Fi will be the logical choice for high-speed surfing.

It’s unknown how much internal memory the G1 will initially ship with, but there is an expandable memory card slot that’ll house a 1 GB microSD preinstalled with the option to go up to 8 GB.

The real draw of the G1, however, is that it’ll be the first to run Google’s Android OS. Predictably, Android will feature tight integration with all the Google services. Gmail is said to be a push technology on the device, which will also support pull with IMAP. Google Talk will provide the obvious instant messaging, while Google Calendar will be the default scheduling tool and YouTube goes without saying. The G1 will come with GPS hardware, which will tie tightly into Google Maps in what appears to be better implementation (with features such as Street View) than what’s currently available on the iPhone.

Matching up against the iTunes App Store for iPod Touch and iPhone, Google is creating the Android Market which will largely be a “wild west” service similar to YouTube. Unlike the App Store, applications for Android do not require approval or certification, making Android appear much more like a PC in philosophy.

As Google doesn’t presently have its own online music solution, Amazon will lend its MP3 store so that users may download DRM-free tracks. Most frustrating for music lovers, however, is that the G1 will not come with a stereo jack, making either custom headphones or clumsy adaptors. Thumbs down on that.

Regardless of the specifications, the real important specification is that it’ll carry a $179 price tag on a two year contract, coming in at $20 below the 8 GB iPhone 3G on AT&T. The unlimited data plan with an unspecified number of text messages will run at $25, while unlimited messaging will bring it to $35. All data plans must be bundled with voice, though it’s unclear if the G1 can be bought without the data component (risky as that may be).

The G1 will launch on the U.S. T-Mobile network on October 22. Hit the video below for a brief demonstration of Android.

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