There is a new idea in the coming version of the web-browser, Opera - called 'Unite' - what is interesting is that that is that is seems to be the opposite of cloud computing in that it makes each user a server rather than a client, as in they can share videos, images and more via their browser. An interesting idea!
Opera Unite is a unique technology that turns any computer or device running Opera into a Web server. In other words, your computer (running Opera Unite) is truly part of the fabric of the Web, rather than just interacting with it, and it’s something anyone can use. With Opera Unite, everyday non-technical users can serve and share content and services directly from their own computers in the form of intuitive applications. That sounds kind of cool from a technology point of view, but what can you do with it, and why is it important?
With Opera Unite, we are giving developers a chance to develop applications (known as Opera Unite services) that directly link people’s personal computers together, so that you can connect with one or more of your friends at the same time. It all happens through the browser, so no additional software has to be downloaded, and it will work wherever Opera works (Windows, Mac, Linux, and later mobile phones and other devices). Opera provides the platform and you provide the applications—what you create is limited only by your imagination.
Economists Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Koleman Strumpf have just released a new Harvard Business School working paper called File Sharing and Copyright that raises some important points about file sharing, copyright, and the net benefits to society.
This study are tackles a number of myths about p2p and file sharing such as that a download does not equal a lost sales (also noted here), that more music and films than ever before have been created. Worth a read.
When the Swedish Pirate Party was founded in early 2006, the majority of the mainstream press were skeptical, with some simply laughing it away. But they were wrong to dismiss this political movement out of hand. Today, the Pirate Party accomplished what some believed to be the impossible, by securing a seat in the European Parliament.
With 99.9% of the districts counted the Pirates have 7.1 percent of the votes, beating several established parties. This means that the Pirate Party will get at least one, but most likely two of the 18 (+2) available seats Sweden has at the European Parliament.
...combine TV, radio and high-definition services with on-demand catch-up and archive programming provided by technology such as the BBC's iPlayer and ITV Player, as well as films, web content and interactive TV services.
There is an interesting court case that should be ending soon between Real Media and Hollywood. It centres on Real's new software that allows people to make backups of their films. A couple of notes to add to this; first Real software does place restrictions on the backups, so it's not like the software allowed an easy route to breaking copyright law at all (unlike free alternatives that do ) and the case is tying-up Real's new hardware release, codenamed Facet as it has the Real DVD software on-board. This case is costing both sides millions in legal fees so you can't help but ask if there is a deeper issue here? Here's a few links of interest;
Just a few links that we think might be of interest...
We've all heard of the 'Bill of Rights' - how about a 'Technology Bill of Rights' and it proposes an interesting media right - the right to use content purchased on any device at any time;
Article 6. Any media content legally purchased by an individual shall be available for private use on any device, at any time Yes, the DRM article -- this one comes directly from the problems facing a large number of people who "purchased" content such as songs from online retailers, only to completely lose access to those purchases when the retailer decided to shut down the authorization servers or similar issues faced by anyone spending money on digital goods. If a person has purchased media, they should be able to retrieve that media on any device they control at any time: from a PC to a Mac to an iPod to whatever. The entertainment industry has long had a built-in media control device simply due to the distribution method of that media -- the cassette, the CD, the DVD. With digital files they lose that control, but that shouldn't mean that the purchaser should lose their rights to use their purchase either. I'm not going to go further into this debate, since both sides are deeply entrenched already.
The idea was to create a gutsy, lively and entertaining film using engines from a computer game that could create low bandwidth/quality images that would be fitting to be screened on the net. One of the things I really like about it is the extreme pixellation in places where it has undergone quite dramatic compression for the web...it really adds to the grungy feel.
