Happy Birthday to Apple!
It seems like such a long time ago and yet it’s not. And along the way, Apple has had more than a few memorable products. Jeff Smykil of Infinite Loop wrote about 32 of them. The comments were also quite enlightening and pointed out some other significant products.
In the end, hearty birthday wishes to Apple and many more to come!
I know it’s been along while since I last posted and I apologize. I’ve been quite taken with work lately and frankly, have not been in the mood to write much. Basically I’ve just been keeping abreast of all the Mac news, which seems never ending (but quite exciting), the usual home chores and resetting the brain on the weekends has occupied pretty much all my time.
The last few weeks I have been staying late working our Communications Manager on several important projects where she needed some assistance with video editing. This is a subject in which I’ve had some curiosity (an offshoot of my photography interests) and it has been a lot of fun!
Apple’s new iLife ‘08 is a pretty awesome package of software for the amateur videographer/photographer. Obviously, any more serious work would require Apple’s more powerful (and expensive!) offerings. but certainly, I have been quite impressed with the capabilities of iLife ‘08 and being able to work with someone familiar with the the process, the eye for detail and the ability to tweak the final output has been quite incredible (Thanks, Molly!).
I plan working with it some more, though my biggest handicap has been the lack of a video camera and a limited amount of disk space. My planned upgrade to Leopard will (conveniently) force me to purchase a large capacity external hard drive, so I will end up with some space for the files. I’m constantly amazed at how quick one can eat up disk space!
I posted previously about an organization that is working to keep Internet Radio stations “on the air” by fostering equality for the copyright payments to the music industry. SaveNetRadio.org is the place to go. Make sure that you contact your elected representatives and voice your concerns.
Although there have been many articles recently about the forthcoming funeral, I came across a well-written and well-considered piece by Robert D. Atkinson, PHD part of which is quoted below and you can read the entire posting here.
This whole situation wouldn’t be so bad if web radio paid the same as over-the-air radio, but it doesn’t. The situation gets confusing because there are two copyrights: one for the musical composition (notes, lyrics, etc.) and one for the sound recording (artistic interpretation, specific vocalists, etc.). Both terrestrial radio and Internet radio pay a royalty on the composition, but amazingly only non-terrestrial radio (Internet radio, satellite radio, etc.) pays a sound recording royalty. In other words, it is the policy of the U.S. government to make the new technology of web radio pay significantly more than the older, less-efficient terrestrial radio technology. This outdated policy not only discriminates against new technology, but it runs counter to a core governing principle of the New Economy that policies should be technology-neutral. The fact that HD radio (digital terrestrial radio) has also been made exempt from sound recording performance rights proves that this is not some ideological debate over digital versus analog transmissions, but pure political pandering to the powerful broadcasting lobby. RIAA knows that it will have the fight of its life on its hands if it takes on the National Association of Broadcasters and tries to get terrestrial radio to pay; it’s a lot easier to get fees imposed on the emergent and politically less powerful web radio industry.
and
How do we fix this broken system? Two steps: First, Congress should either exempt web radio from sound recording royalties or insist that all forms of radio pay the same rate. It’s time for consumers and record labels to recognize their common interests and agree that if web radio is to be subject to these royalties then terrestrial radio should stop receiving a free lunch. Consumers cannot expect Internet radio to thrive when its competitors pay nothing for the music they broadcast. Second, Congress should require Sound Exchange to establish a new system under which copyright owners can set competitive prices for their music. Only by eliminating this single price system will we be able to see true competitive pricing in the market. The time to act is now. Unless Congress steps in to fix this broken system, July 15th will be the day the music died.
Keep Internet Radio alive. Call or write your politicians. I did.
Ended up finding a friend of mine with a music video at YouTube…Wonderful singer and a superb person.
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I always enjoyed watching Speed Racer when I was young (so long ago!); And now it would appear that the animated show is about to come to life. What follows is the post from Engadget.
Sorry K.I.T.T., you had a nice run there, but we’re pretty certain the newly created Mach 5 could destroy you in the quarter mile. As the crew readies for the Speed Racer-inspired motion picture to land in May 2008, this blast from the animated past has finally become a reality, and it even parked for a photograph and an unveiling ceremony, too. The sparkly white ride sports a blinding red interior, stripped down dashboard, push button start, and a hint of nostalgia to boot. We know, next May is a long ways off, but feel free to click through and see the presentation of the tangible Mach 5 in all of its glory — now go, Speed Racer, go.
Good Old Ronnie
I didn’t realize just how much I missed him, until I read and remembered some of the stuff he said… and stood for.
“Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.”
- Ronald Reagan
“The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
- Ronald Reagan
“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.”
- Ronald Reagan
“Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.”
- Ronald Reagan
“I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.”
- Ronald Reagan
“The taxpayer: That’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.”
- Ronald Reagan
“Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
- Ronald Reagan
“The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.”
- Ronald Reagan
“I’ve laid down the law, though, to everyone from now on about anything that happens: no matter what time it is, wake me, even if it’s in the middle of a Cabinet meeting.”
- Ronald Reagan
“It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.”
- Ronald Reagan
“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
- Ronald Reagan
“Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.”
- Ronald Reagan
“No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.”
- Ronald Reagan
“If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
- Ronald Reagan
Happy Birthday Apple II !!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years since this iconic and evolutionary machine was introduced to the public.
Congratulations!