Pinboard (guardiantech)

Why do I hate DLNA protocol so much ? >> Ben's Lost World

guardiantech — 2013-07-30T17:20:39+00:00

In simple words, DLNA can be defined as “UPnP A/V with restrictions“. Using plain UPnP A/V, a server can share any kind of file (being binary, audio file, video file, text file like subtitle, or even a Word or PowerPoint presentation, whatever …). All it does after all, is sharing a file through HTTP with its associated MIME type, just like any HTTP server (Apache …) would do. It was then up to the client/player to determine whether or not it can handle the stream. This was quite too simple for DLNA folks. They have decided that only a numerous number of files are worth being shared. As a result, they’ve decided to restrict the protocol so that only some specific file extensions, but also containers and audio/video codecs combination can be used. This just sounds like a very good idea. Even a 16-year-old drunk cheerleader could have understood it was pure crap !!

Fabulously detailed. Also disappointing if you'd thought DLNA was the answer to simple streaming. (Thanks @HotSoup for the link.)

You gotta know when to fold ‘em >> Songbird

guardiantech — 2013-06-16T16:28:10+00:00

The original "open" music player Songbird has sung its last:

Since 2007, POTI Inc (aka Songbird) has been delivering innovative media playback experiences to millions of consumers across Desktop computers, browsers and mobile devices. It’s been a great pleasure to serve our fans, developers who have built add-ons upon our open source Desktop platform, and our partners. We’ve also enjoyed seeing over a million people every month enjoy our social music experience, Songbird.me, where they were able to connect with artists they’re most interested in and discover new artists in a more personalized way. Unfortunately, the company has found ourselves unable to fund further business operations and as of June 28, 2013 all of Songbird’s operations and associated services will be discontinued.

There were high hopes for Songbird back in 2006, when it was described as an "open source iTunes killer" – a music-focused web browser trying to open up the walled gardens of the digital music world. In 2013, the most likely successor is Tomahawk, which is trying to bridge the similarly-siloed world of streaming music services.

Understanding smartphone use in stores: shoppers who use mobile more, spend more in store >> Google Mobile Ads Blog

guardiantech — 2013-05-12T20:28:15+00:00

The self-interest runs like the words through a stick of rock in this post, but this is intriguing:

Shoppers who use mobile more, spend more in store
While many businesses might assume that smartphone use in store drives shoppers to seek better prices elsewhere and order online, we found that the opposite was true. We compared the in-store purchases of moderate and frequent smartphone users and found that basket sizes of frequent mobile shoppers were 25-50% higher. For instance, while the average appliance smartphone shoppers spends $250 per shopping trip, frequent smartphone shoppers spend $350. Marketers shouldn’t shy away from the showrooming challenge, and should instead, meet it head on.

The only, but crucially big, question: is this causation - using smartphones more means you spend more - or correlation: people who use their smartphones more are also, for whatever reason, big spenders?

Apple's iMessage encryption trips up feds' surveillance >> CNET News

guardiantech — 2013-04-04T17:13:16+00:00

Declan McCullagh and Jennifer van Grove:

Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals.
An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, "it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices" even with a court order approved by a federal judge.
The DEA's warning, marked "law enforcement sensitive," is the most detailed example to date of the technological obstacles -- FBI director Robert Mueller has called it the "Going Dark" problem -- that police face when attempting to conduct court-authorized surveillance on non-traditional forms of communication.

Taiwan 4Q12 digital camera shipments hit 15-quarter low >> Digitimes Research

guardiantech — 2013-01-23T12:27:47+00:00

Taiwan-based Ability Enterprise, Altek, Foxconn Electronics and Asia Optical shipped 7.588m digital cameras in total during the fourth quarter of 2012, hitting the lowest quarterly level since the second quarter of 2009, according to Digitimes Research.
Of the shipments, 57.6% were 16-megapixel CCD models, 18.1% 16-megapixel CMOS models and 17.8% 14-megapixel CCD models, Digitimes Research said.

Sign o'the times.

2012 KPCB Internet Trends Year-End Update >> Kleiner Perkins

guardiantech — 2012-12-04T21:43:01+00:00

Mary Meeker's internet trends report is always fascinating. Here she points to a new lifestyle - "Asset-lite". (Any Shockwave Rider readers out there? It sounds like Brunner's world gradually coming true.)

European Parliament endorses stricter European export control of digital arms >> Marietje Schaake MEP's site

guardiantech — 2012-10-24T20:44:47+00:00

By endorsing amendments proposed by Dutch Member of European Parliament Marietje Schaake (D66/ALDE) the European Parliament wants EU export control regulation to include additional binding export controls for technologies that are used by authoritarian regimes to monitor, track and trace citizens. Companies should ask for export authorization if they have reasons to believe that certain exports might harm human rights. The Parliament also calls for an EU-wide application of the additional licensing requirements, EU Member States are obliged to block exports of technologies to countries facing emergency situations. “This is a big step forward in our battle against digital arms trade. It is unacceptable that regimes in Syria and Iran can use European technologies to violate human rights, let alone that European companies are actively involved in that”, Schaake says.

Good news if this has really been achieved through that move. Or will it just mean that other countries export the products to repressive regimes?

Who inherits your iTunes library? >> MarketWatch

guardiantech — 2012-09-03T14:30:01+00:00

Is this where the Bruce Willis "story" was born?

And one’s heirs stand to lose huge sums of money. “I find it hard to imagine a situation where a family would be OK with losing a collection of 10,000 books and songs,” says Evan Carroll, co-author of “Your Digital Afterlife.” “Legally dividing one account among several heirs would also be extremely difficult.”
Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CDs. Customers own a license to use the digital files — but they don’t actually own them.

Dear the internet: yes, digital magazines do cost money to create >> Revert to Saved

guardiantech — 2012-07-18T14:39:09+00:00

Craig Grannell:

One of the UK's Mac magazines, MacFormat, which I regularly write for, just unleashed its new digital version on the App Store. On the iPad, it uses the same underlying framework as the spiffy Tap! magazine, making for an entertaining and interactive experience. Hurrah! So, inevitably, people are already bitching about it on the App Store. Here are two choice one-star reviews...

"Can pay, won't pay" is the cri de coeur de nos jours.

The world’s hottest digital markets: a music map >> paidContent

guardiantech — 2012-05-22T05:14:18+00:00

Surprising reason why Germany and France buys lots of CDs: because classical music sells well. Lots of interesting nuggets from a neat map.

Dragon Tattoo marks 4K milestone >> Reuters.com

guardiantech — 2011-12-14T06:52:56+00:00

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the tenth film this year to be released in 4K, a new ultra high resolution digital film format that Sony hopes will become the industry standard." It says it has four times the resolution of previous digital formats: getting closer to film. Of course if Sony can get it adopted then it will at least have one space where it's making money.

Bitcoin befuddles U.S. customs agents, thwarting Seattle visit by digital currency guru >> GeekWire

guardiantech — 2011-07-27T14:56:10+00:00

"A developer who specializes in the Bitcoin digital currency says he was sent back to China last week after he arrived at Sea-Tac Airport with only $600 in cash and wasn’t able to convince U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents that he would be able to fund his two-month visit using Bitcoin.
"The developer, who goes by the alias “Doctor Nefario,” identifies himself as the founder of the Global Bitcoin Stock Exchange."

Would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that interview.

CD and mobile music sales fall in 2010, but vinyl continues its resurgence >> Los Angeles Times

guardiantech — 2011-05-04T20:43:34+00:00

"On the digital front, mobile music sales, which is made up of mostly ringtones, dropped 28% to $527m last year. Sales of individual song downloads grew just 2.1% in 2010 with more than 1.16bn tracks sold, compared with 1.14bn in 2009. But overall digital music revenue grew 10%, in large part because Apple Inc. last year raised the price of top selling tunes to $1.29 from 99 cents.
"The price hike by Apple, which commands roughly 70% of the market for digital music downloads, may have slowed the number of songs people bought, but it resulted in an increase in overall revenue, which last year climbed to $2.24bn, up from $2.03bn in 2009."