Monday, February 26, 2007
Next next generation a long way off?
Many criticise new media for the rapid rate of development, arguing that consumers are being forced to an endless upgrade cycle which is both expensive and environmentally disastrous. For videogames hardware at least, it looks like there could be some stability, forced on the industry by the difficulty in turning development into profit. Given that videogames are worth more than cinema box office takings don't feel too bad for them.
Labels: institutions, videogames
Yet more on the end of TV
That's the box in the living room - TV programmes are more pervasive than ever thanks to another download service, this time from BitTorrent.
Monday, February 19, 2007
YouTube: healthy for TV?
The Guardian today has a very perceptive article about the ways in which YouTube (and by extension other web2.0 services) is helpful to TV (an by extension traditional media in general). Make sure you read it!
Labels: web2.0
Handy guide to DRM
The terrific Wired.com has a very useful guide to understanding DRM. Make sure it's top of your 'to read' list!
Labels: consumers vs institutions, DRM
'Wii are not to blame'
According to a blog, research has suggested that investigations into the links between violence in videogames and violence in real life have been flawed. 'Of course there isn't!' the gamers amongst you will be shouting, and you could be correct. However, take a careful look at who 'presents' the blog. The irony is that one of the things they criticise is publishing bias...
Labels: videogames
Sunday, February 18, 2007
You(on the)Tube
The BBC has a useful article gathering some thoughts on the impact of the Web2.0 flagship site YouTube. There was a time when getting on TV was a big deal - now anyone can get on...
More on mobile phones
According to BBC's Click Online programme music is the important development feature of mobile phones, particularly in terms of online music and portability. It's fairly obvious really - music has long been seen as a portable media; think of Walkmans, radios in cars and iPods. Unlike the TV idea, institutions should see a lot of mileage in pushing the music agenda.
Labels: mobile phones
Monday, February 12, 2007
New formats: money for old rope?
One advantage for NMTs for institutions: sell old stuff in a new format. It's not really new: think of past music formats, past film formats, videogame technology, mobile phone technology.
The above link, about the return of 'old' music to the charts, contains useful statistics and quotations for your exam, so get reading!
The above link, about the return of 'old' music to the charts, contains useful statistics and quotations for your exam, so get reading!
Labels: consumers vs institutions, internet
Mobile TV: flogging a dead horse?
Do consumers really want TV on their mobiles? Are they willing to put up with high costs and variable quality is a more significant question, it would seem. The signs are promising: YouTube, on-demand content from virtually every channel on the planet and constantly improving technology; such developments should mean we're more receptive to mobile TV. But then again, why bother in an on-demand world? It's not like the old days of handheld TVs so you could watch important programmes away from home. These days, there's no more of the 'miss it miss out' culture of the past. Watch it +1, or in a catch-up slot, or from your Sky+ box, or on YouTube. Mobile TV doesn't look so special in that context.
However: MySpace on your mobile could mean a contract is the only way you'll keep up with your phone costs.
However: MySpace on your mobile could mean a contract is the only way you'll keep up with your phone costs.
Labels: internet, mobile phones, TV
Support charity: buy a newspaper?
The oldest newspaper in the world is to be an online only publication I discovered last Wednesday, when a colleague (Mr Hillyard) email me the link to the Wired item. Today, as it's half-term I walked to the local shop and bought a newspaper, which on reflection seemed pointless given the availability of the content online. However, like books, newspapers are old technology, and yet they are, also like books, enduring; despite spending too much time online, handling and reading a printed newspaper is pleasing to me. Having said that, I read all my news online six days of out seven; perhaps printed pages are more of a pleasure from the past, especially when you consider the rise in mobile internet content.
Labels: internet
More on DRM
The Guardian on Thursday had a detailed exploration of the possibility of major online distributors of music (although the principle will be extendible to other media) dropping DRM. The idea of letting users own content that is free of restriction is clearly something that is going to provoke all kinds of debate. To this end, Warner Bros have declared the dropping of DRM to be 'without logic or merit'. If the industry does follow the urgings of people like Steve Jobs and drops DRM, you can be sure Warner will follow suit - especially if it means they're losing revenue as a result of a principled stand in favour of DRM technology.
Labels: consumers vs institutions, DRM
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
DRM: Holding back legitimate downloads?
Steve Jobs has called for an end to the use of DRM (digital rights management) in the music files sold online. It could be that this will remove one of the major obstacles to downloads rendering CDs obsolete; at the moment the CD format allows high quality audio that you can use as you wish (including copying, sharing, editing) - unless there's some sort of DRM used on the disc. Whereas DRM on CDs is rare, it's the accepted practice with downloads from legitimate sites. Some, like Steve Jobs, it would seem, think that preventing consumers freely using something they've paid for is unfair and hampering efforts to increase the take up of digital downloading.
Whether the music industry will agree is another matter; only once Napster forced them did they submit to the idea of online distribution. Downloads make sense in terms of a mainstream format for the majority of users (portable, instant, easy to store to name just three), but the majority aren't giving up on CDs - could it be the perception of the risk of formats that aren't universally playable and that are limited in either time, or number of uses? Imagine being told some of your CDs would only play in a certain brand of player! Or that you could list to the CD on just a few of the CD playing devices in your home!
Read about DRM in Wired magazine (the article linked here is from 2001 but it still contains relevant ideas, if not up-to-date examples).
Whether the music industry will agree is another matter; only once Napster forced them did they submit to the idea of online distribution. Downloads make sense in terms of a mainstream format for the majority of users (portable, instant, easy to store to name just three), but the majority aren't giving up on CDs - could it be the perception of the risk of formats that aren't universally playable and that are limited in either time, or number of uses? Imagine being told some of your CDs would only play in a certain brand of player! Or that you could list to the CD on just a few of the CD playing devices in your home!
Read about DRM in Wired magazine (the article linked here is from 2001 but it still contains relevant ideas, if not up-to-date examples).
Labels: consumers vs institutions, DRM, internet
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Internet safety day
At the risk of sounding all Daily Mail, you should read about the fourth internet safety day. The purpose of the day is to raise the profile of information concerned with how to stay safe on the internet. I would always encourage students to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the internet, especially social networking sites (even the school-time-wasting MySpace has the potential to be a powerful tool for self-development); safety, however, is a serious business so read all about it!
Labels: internet
My(chance-to-break-into-the-industry)Space
How does £1 million sound for your next film's budget? MySpace is running a competition to find the UK's hidden directing talent. Aside from being a great chance, it could be seen as a good example of the ways in which NMTs are capable of facilitating greater creativity and collaboration. Whilst there's no guarantee of quality, the volume of moving image work now being produced thanks to low cost production technologies indicates an eagerness on the part of people to create as well as consume media.
Labels: democratisation, internet, social networking
Pirates of the multiplex
Partly as a follow-up to my post on the people's medium - video - here's an article that explores the camcorder / DVD pirate film debate. It's fantastic for statistics - perfect for your exam - so make sure you read it!
Labels: consumers vs institutions, DVD
Sunday, February 04, 2007
They're taking over!
It would seem computers really are taking over the world: music teachers can be replaced by internet applications, listening to you playing and offering guidance. Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? There are organisations out there already bringing into question the need for so much direct teaching given the possibilities offered by computers.
The 3D browser mentioned in the article (3B) is also worth a look.
The 3D browser mentioned in the article (3B) is also worth a look.
Labels: internet
Give niche a chance
Bob Geldof's production company is to launch a TV channel focused on world peace (You'll need to register to follow the link, but it's free); you see, not all internet and multichannel distributed channels are trash. It's also a useful example of how internet TV 'channels' can challenge our perceptions of what constitutes TV broadcasting.
Friday, February 02, 2007
(No)You(Don't )Tube
YouTube is a great idea, and clearly there's enormous potential for the sort of delivery methods and user-interaction in evidence. But, what sounds too good to be true often is: some, in this case Viacom, think YouTube (and parent-company Google) are breaking copyright laws, or at least turning a blind eye to the activities of users. As we saw with the original Napster, if people want something they'll go about getting it, and if it's not offered legitimately then that's too bad. The music industry took years to catch up; will the TV people make the same mistakes by attempting to stifle something there's an enormous appetite for? You'd think a royalties deal would be a sensible approach...
Labels: consumers vs institutions, internet, social networking
Thursday, February 01, 2007
It's not April today, is it?
Recently there have been exciting devlopments in videogames, with the launch of the powerful Xbox 360, the innovative Nintendo DS and the plain marvellous Wii; however, Dell's plans are surely a joke?
Labels: videogames
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