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Buzz Out Loud 699: The smell of pong
Video on Flickr! http://blog.flickr.net/en/2008/04/09/video-on-flickr-2/
Wal-Mart going hardline on DRM-free online music store; SonyBMG and Warner Music … Read more
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Survey finds CA drivers spotty on cell phone driving ban
With less than three months to go before the State of California outlaws using a cell phone while driving, nearly half of California drivers are unaware of when the ban kicks in, according to a recent survey. Polling of 400 licensed drivers by Plantronics (a maker of Bluetooth headsets, as it happens) and market research firm TNS found that 44 percent did not know when the legislation comes into effect and that 72 percent did not have "strong familiarity" with what the ban encompasses.
To strengthen your familiarity, here is what to expect:
As of July 1, 2008, … Read moreLadytron 'Black Cat': Free MP3 of the Day
Comprised of two dudes on instruments and two ice-princess frontwomen, Liverpool-based Ladytron is quite simply one of the most awesome bands to ever rise up out of electronic music's ashes. Garnering the most attention initially by their cold and calculating club hit "PlayGirl" (one of Felix Da Housecat's favorites), the foursome has somehow managed to make their far-away, future-forward sound a warm and inviting experience throughout three albums, and are most intriguing live.
Frank-n-Dank, 'Ma Dukes': Free MP3 of the Day
The term "late great" could've been coined for J Dilla, the Detroit-bred production master who was quietly crucial to turn-of-the-millennium beatsmithing. This hometown crew's debut showcases both its own tight rhyming and the heartfelt but punchy groove Dilla owned.
The GPL's poor translation into French
The cheekiness/gall of Free/Iliad is almost shocking.
Free/Iliad is a billion-dollar French ISP that is taking sophistry to new depths. In response to a cease and desist letter that it either stop distributing with its arguments about why it's entitled to heavily modify software licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) without contributing back its modifications, as Pierre writes.
What's of particular interest here is the way Mr. Niel [Free's founder] argues the GPL is irrelevant to this case. His claims is [sic] roughly this: my 3,000,000 GPLoaded-home routers are part of my network therefore the GPL doesn't apply since I don't distribute any software outside of my network.Oh, really?… Read more
Midlake, 'Paper Gown': Free MP3 of the Day
Midlake is not afraid to be both beautiful and ineffable. Archaeologists of the sonic variety, this remarkable outfit has returned from a dig in the '70s and recorded their findings. Gentle and dramatic piano moves gracefully throughout their music providing a dreamy foundation for striking melodies and lyrics. Poetic musings set to harmonized folk instrumentation has never sounded so soothing and inspiring.
Miguel Migs, 'Fire': Free MP3 of the Day
The proprietor of house labels Salted Music and Naked Music, San Francisco resident Migs is known for making dance music celebrities out of the people with whom he collaborates--most notably Blue Six and Lisa Shaw. For '07 album "Those Things" he called on vocalist Shaw, a saxophone, some bongos, heavy machinery, and a whole lot of soul.
Galactic, 'I Got It (What You Need)': Free MP3 of the Day
Which is the better reason to listen to Galactic--the impossibly groovy funk-jazz jams, or the A-list MCs rhyming along to them? The combination is almost unfairly good, but we'll keep quiet. With artists from Juvenile to Mr. Lif on board, it's a utopian redefinition of "instrumental hip-hop."
Can't deal with the clutter of home theater speakers? Meet HT2.0
Sure, home theater sound is synonymous with five, six, or seven speakers and a subwoofer. And sure, multichannel audio can sound great, and more and more of today's films rely on a room-filling surround experience to convey their full impact. But a lot of folks cringe at the very idea of dealing with a mess of wires and speakers filling their living rooms. Enter HT2.0, a concept I've been writing about for nearly ten years; stereo home theater really can sound amazing on films that don't rely on special effects. If you mostly watch dramas, comedies, … Read more
FreeMobile411 launches on 4/11. Ha.
There's no real killer app yet for retrieving listings information on your mobile phone, but there could be soon.
On Aptil 11, FreeMobile411 launches the consumer version of its carrier-offered services. Visting FreeMobile411.com from your mobile browser gets you a decent-looking ad-supported WAP site that simplifies directory search and helps you avoid long waits while listening to ads from dial-in services like 1-800-FREE-411.
Enter the search term--it can be a business name ("Blockbuster"), business type ("video store"), or person ("Bill Blockbuster"). Then select the search type, and fill in either the city … Read more
