PlasticBoy

EFF’s Seth Schoen has a series of articles on hardware encryption support that is coming in the next version of Windows. This is a must-read for anyone planning on continuing to use Windows over the next few years. Microsoft Trusted Computing Updates, The Dangers of Device Authentication, Protected Media Path, Component Revocation, Windows Driver Lockdown, Microsoft Sells Out the Public on CGMS-A

In the near future, when you try to install software to time-shift your favorite Real Audio webcast, your PC might disable all media player applications. Until you remove the software, your PC will remain crippled. Or perhaps you want to watch a downloaded movie on a wide-screen TV, but your PC might turn off its video card’s analog output. Welcome to the world of Windows Longhorn (now known as Vista) and the Protected Media Path, where Microsoft, copyright holders, and DRM licensors may grant or revoke permission to use your own computer and digital media. According to announcements at 2005 Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will go to great lengths to prevent users from tinkering with their own software environments. The proximate cause of the new restrictions is a scheme called Protected Media Path (PMP), which helps Longhorn make DRM for audio and video significantly stronger.

Some older news that I found in my link backlog.

And, the authors agree, it might take work to convince consumers to eat cultured muscle meat, a product not yet associated with being produced artificially. “On the other hand, cultured meat could appeal to people concerned about food safety, the environment, and animal welfare, and people who want to tailor food to their individual tastes,” says Matheny. The paper even suggests that meat makers may one day sit next to bread makers on the kitchen counter.

Robot Wisdom points to this great collection of acoustic renderings of Aphex Twin songs. Yes, it’s available on Rhapsody

You can read all of Michael Palin’s travel books online. These are based on his numerous travel documentaries from British television and PBS.

Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad Is Good for You implores Hillary Clinton in an open letter to stop worrying about the video game generation.

Many juvenile crimes — such as the carjacking that is so central to “Grand Theft Auto” &mdash are conventionally described as “thrill-seeking” crimes. Isn’t it possible that kids no longer need real-world environments to get those thrills, now that the games simulate them so vividly? The national carjacking rate has dropped substantially since “Grand Theft Auto” came out. Isn’t it conceivable that the would-be carjackers are now getting their thrills on the screen instead of the street? Crime statistics are not the only sign that today’s gaming generation is doing much better than the generation raised during the last cultural panic &mdash over rock ‘n’ roll. Math SAT scores have never been higher; verbal scores have been climbing steadily for the last five years; nearly every indicator in the Department of Education study known as the Nation’s Report Card is higher now than when the study was implemented in 1971. By almost every measure, the kids are all right.

Ones to Watch (July 2005): An assortment of tracks from some of our favorite emerging artists. 1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Nouvelle Vague 2. Orris Root Powder (Volume 0) - MF DOOM 3. Summertime Cowboy - Husky Rescue 4. The Long Goodbye - A Girl Called Eddy 5. Make Your Move (9th Wonder remix) - Hieroglyphics 6. Too Drunk To F**k - Nouvelle Vague 7. Vinca Rosea (Volume 9) - MF DOOM 8. Sunset Drive - Husky Rescue 9. People Used to Dream About the Future - A Girl Called Eddy 10. Mind Body and Soul - Opio

Here’s a good article on how U.S. viewers used BitTorrent to watch the first episode of Battlestar Galactica months before it aired and what it means for the broadcast television industry.

While you might assume the SciFi Channel saw a significant drop-off in viewership as a result of this piracy, it appears to have had the reverse effect: the series is so good that the few tens of thousands of people who watched downloaded versions told their friends to tune in on January 14th, and see for themselves. From its premiere, Battlestar Galactica has been the most popular program ever to air on the SciFi Channel, and its audiences have only grown throughout the first series. Piracy made it possible for “word-of-mouth” to spread about Battlestar Galactica.

I saw this ages ago but never posted it. Definitely a must-see: Time Management for Anarchists: The Movie.

Update: Oops, I had posted it. It’s worth another viewing anyway.

Here’s and interesting piece from Morning Edition about scientists who are investigating the effect of meditation on the brain. In related news, David Lynch is starting a foundation to do similar research and promote the teaching of Transcendental Meditation in schools, something the TMers are always on about.

Amanda from Rhapsody in Blog has painstakingly reproduced Rhino Records’ 90’s box set Whatever: The 90’s Pop and Culture Box as a Rhapsody playlist. There were only six tracks missing from Rhapsody and two buy-only tracks. Nice!

How cool is it that these spooky-sounding radio emissions from Saturn sound exactly like Louis and Bebe Barron’s score for Forbidden Planet?

Lollapalooza 2005: Lollapalooza returns in 2005 for a weekend of musical mayhem (over 60 bands!) in Chicago’s Grant Park. 1. Rebel Yell (Live, Acoustic Version) - Billy Idol 2. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies 3. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - Arcade Fire 4. Jettin’ - Digable Planets 5. In A Jar - Dinosaur Jr 6. Tommy The Cat - Primus 7. The Rules - Ben Kweller 8. Never Said - Liz Phair 9. Title And Registration - Death Cab For Cutie 10. Black Stacey - Saul Williams 11. I Turn My Camera On - Spoon 12. On My Way - Redwalls 13. 10 A.M. Automatic - Black Keys 14. Don’t Save Us From The Flames - M83 15. Cuchi-Cuchi - Los Amigos Invisibles

They Might Be Giants were on WCPN last week, there are some nice performances in there.

The album of the week is Frank Black’s Honeycomb.

Kem Plays DJ: The soul singer reveals the songs that inspire him. 1. That Girl - Stevie Wonder 2. Let’s Work - Prince 3. What A Wonderful World - Tony Bennett/K.D. Lang 4. On Broadway - George Benson 5. Purple Rain - Prince 6. The Girl From Ipanema - Stan Getz 7. Tell Me All About It - Michael Franks 8. Butterflies - Michael Jackson 9. You Rock My World - Michael Jackson 10. Sacred Love - Sting 11. Since I Lost My Baby - Michael McDonald 12. Been So Long - Anita Baker 13. Angel - Anita Baker 14. Corcovado - Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto 15. Do Me, Baby - Prince 16. No Rhyme, No Reason - George Duke 17. Casanova Brown - Teena Marie 18. 777-9311 - The Time 19. Into You - Kem