MP3 Newswire just posted the manifesto by Beale Screamer, the hacker who cracked the Windows Media Audio Digital Rights Management scheme. Titled Mad as Hell about the DMCA the author denounces the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, the abuse of copyrights, and the dangers of Microsoft controlling the security. It's an excellent read and one that is a must for all those who wish to preserve their fair use rights.
NetRadio.com has has shut down its site. One of the leading Internet radio stations, the site has entered dot.com Valhalla as another casualty in the war for online music distribution.
Source: Billboard.com
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is working with several outside companies to investigate using technology against online music traders. In effect, it is considering the use of techniques devised by malicious hackers. An RIAA spokesman declined to confirm or deny the reports except to say, "We do work with third-party efforts that include software, but we do not discuss the particulars."
B&O introduces the BeoLink PC 2 to complement the free BeoPlayer 1.0.0 released last August.
Robert Menta of MP3newswire.net gives his brief two cents on an article from Wired that has exposed the RIAA's attempt to attach an ammendment to a massive anti-terrorist bill running through Congress. The ammendment would essentially allow them to legally hack personal computers remotely - including using a virus - as a copyright protection remedy. The rider failed, but the sheer nerve it took to try to pull this off and the sneaky way they did it.
WASHINGTON -- Look out, music pirates: The recording industry wants the right to hack into your computer and delete your stolen MP3s.
It's no joke. Lobbyists for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tried to glue this hacking-authorization amendment onto a mammoth anti-terrorism bill that Congress approved last week.
Pansonic yesterday announced the SV-SD80, a new MP3 player that will be the smallest yet sold. To get an idea how truly tiny this portable is, compare the size of the player with the earbuds that come with it in the photo.
Yesterday Nullsoft officially moved Winamp from alpha to beta with the released of Winamp 3.0 Beta 1. Built on a new coding platform named "Wasabi", Winamp 3 offers a module setup allowing any component of Winamp to be removed or replaced. This allows third party developers more freedom to customize the program.
Compaq, who just recently expanded their MP3 portable lineup with the Personal Audio Player PA-2, has announced they are adding an MP3/CD portable to the mix. Called the Compaq Personal CD Player PCD-1, the unit plays MP3, WMA, and standard CD tracks.
Here's an interesting article on why the addition of copy protection on music CDs may backfire against the record industry.
