A 5 Step Program for the Music Industry

Back in the early days of the internet a close friend of mine called me up and made me drive over to his parents house (yes, it was THAT long ago) to show me something he had just discovered online. After he played for me the first .mp3 file I had ever heard and told me the file size I instantly knew that the age of the music CD was effectively over and that unless the industry made real attempts to embrace this new technology they were going to be effectively screwed. That was almost 10 years ago. Surprise! I was right, looks like they are screwed. With CD revenue down 26% between 2000 and 2006 I think it is long past time for someone to explain the situation to them in simple, easy to understand terms. So here is a simple 5 step program they can take to maybe salvage the situation before they end up going the way of the dodo.

Technorati Tags: apple, digital music, mp3, music, RIAA

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Three Reasons Why Windows Vista Is Sinking Like A Rock

Lately it sure seems like a day does not go by where I don’t run across at least one or two news stories about how annoying Microsoft’s Windows Vista is. A recent article on CNN is a prime example of how bad the reception of Vista has been from folks who simply know better. Talk of limitations on virtualization and media playback combined with hardware and software compatibility problems are making Vista look very bad in comparison to even Windows XP. Of course some of these issues might be addressed over the next few months but I think I have three good reasons why Vista is making for the bottom faster than you might think.

Technorati Tags: microsoft, virtualization, vista

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Apple Airport Extreme 802.11n Mini-Review

It’s no secret Apple has had an incredible year full of successful product releases starting with the dramatic move to Intel processors taking center stage and finally with the eagerly awaited iPhone announcement. Now that all Mac platforms and I suspect even the iPhone have made the jump to Intel Apple has taken the time to release two very innovative products, the new Airport Extreme and AppleTV. Since AppleTV has yet to make it to store shelves the focus of this review will be the absolutely wonderful wireless router/basestation that now carries the name Airport Extreme. It is very important to understand that these two products are interrelated in that you really need to have the Airport Extreme if you intend to make the most of the new AppleTV’s built-in wireless. In addition to the great features supported by the new Airport design we will also focus on the bigger picture, Apple’s slow march into the living room and what that means for established media distribution channels.

Technorati Tags: apple, gadgets, review, video, wireless

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Turns out Vista Won’t Play Nice With FPS Games

Noticed this little bit of news on slashdot.org today which is not even the least surprising. My own experience with Windows Vista has been less than stellar, and one of the things I noticed about the new OS was the lack of any increase in gaming performance. Although I don’t recall there being a huge drop in performance it does not surprise me that others are having worse issues than myself.

The really interesting fact that the article speaks to is the lack of adequate video hardware support in Windows Vista. Several of the problems I experienced with a Windows Vista Ultimate installation on a notebook was centered on how the OS handled secondary displays. It did’nt. Apparently Microsoft radically changed how video drivers are implemented in Windows Vista which is resulting in all the fuss since older drivers have to use a “compatibility” layer which saps performance. Since few “native” video drivers are out or completely debugged and out of beta resulting in many folks are having serious issues, as reported by slashdot.

Yet another reason to avoid Windows Vista for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE: News.com is running a story on how Vista won’t run Second Life for lots of folks….and you will only need one guess why.

Technorati Tags: fps, games, microsoft, vista

2007 Mercedes-Benz C230 Sport Mini-Review

So what’s a BMW fan like myself doing reviewing a Mercedes? Well, like the old saying goes “know thy enemy” and as far as rivalries go, BMW and Mercedes are one of the most well known. Although Mercedes-Benz answer to the latest BMW 3-series is still several months away the current C-class is no slouch. Offered in two separate versions dubbed Sport and Luxury this sedan attempts to please all drivers ultimately resulting in a very difficult decision when it comes time to make a purchase. For this mini-review I had the chance to once again spend some time in the driver’s seat, this time behind the wheel of a 2007 Mercedes-Benz C230 Sport. So how did the C230 stack up? Not bad, although performance junkies might want to look elsewhere this Mercedes does offer a healthy dose of luxury for a fantastic price.

Technorati Tags: C230, cars, mercedes-benz, review, sport sedan

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2007 BMW 328xi Mini-Review

Once in a while a car comes along that changes your perceptions on just what an automobile should be. For myself that car was a 2000 BMW 328i that I had the opportunity to own and enjoy for several years. The car impressed me so much I have been a BMW owner ever since. So when the opportunity came up to take the keys to a brand new 2007 328xi (the all-wheel-drive version) for a few days I simply could not resist. So after spending the weekend with BMW’s latest rendition of the legendary 3-series do I still think of the 328i as the best sport sedan I have ever driven? You bet, not only does this new BMW drive like a wet dream on wheels but it combines just the right amount of creature comfort with sporty goodness to please even the die hard enthusiasts while still pampering the Sunday driver.

Technorati Tags: 328i, auto, bmw, cars, review

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