limewire

Illegal music downloads dropped in 2012, says report

Fewer people are illegally downloading and sharing music, NPD Group said in a report today.

Among those surveyed for NPD's "Annual Music Study 2012," 40 percent who illegally downloaded music via peer-to-peer services in 2011 said they had stopped or decreased their illegal downloads in 2012.

Overall, the number of illegally downloaded songs from P2P services dropped by 26 percent in 2012 from 2011.

Part of that was due to an overall decline in the use of P2P services. At the 2005 peek of P2P file sharing networks, 33 million people used them. For 2012, that number … Read more

RIAA to CNET: Follow Google, nix video-to-MP3 conversions

The Recording Industry Association of America wants to put an end to software and services that enable people to rip songs from music videos.

Two days after YouTube-MP3.org, a site that takes music videos and converts their songs into MP3 files, was blocked from accessing YouTube, the RIAA has asked CNET to remove software from Download.com that performs a similar function. CNET, which is owned by CBS, is the publisher of this news site.

The RIAA, the trade group representing the four largest record companies, began pressuring Google to start cracking down on the MP3-conversion services about a … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1469: PlayStation Network: safe enough for America! (Podcast)

Sony is firing up the PlayStation Network again and most of America should have access by now. But the Japanese government says it won't allow PSN back on in its country until Sony can ensure that it's triple-dog-super-secure. Which, uh ... I kind of want it to be that secure here, too, don't you? Plus, artists gets screwed by pirates AND the RIAA, the fascinating and potentially globally destabilizing bitcoin project, and the power of Prey gets back a man's laptop from hundreds of miles away. --Molly

The 404 820: Where we stop using cliches for show titles (podcast)

It's Friday the 13th, but nothing is creepier than this morning's news about Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen on 'Two and a Half Men.' On today's episode of The 404 Podcast, we're talking about the list of other potential castings for the slot, the Library of Congress launching a National Jukebox, a pricey out of court settlement from Lime Wire, and a user-submitted picture of Natali Morris that's too wrong not to show.

The 404 Digest for Episode 820

Ashton Kutcher will replace Sheen on "Two and a Half Men." Library of Congress quietly announces The National Jukebox. Lime Wire settles for $105 million. Lady Gaga presents her own version of Farmville on Facebook. Oh what the hell, here's Ahmad's picture of a beautiful woman... with a beard.

Episode 820 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1433: George Hotz and the Girls Gone Wild defense (Podcast)

Sony PS3 jailbreaker George Hotz scampers down to South America to avoid having to turn over his possessions to Sony -- but claimed he's just there on spring break. Um. Ok, dude. Also, Apple's grand plans to take over the Internet completely, the new Color app that either is or isn't the most amazing startup that ever existed, and record labels' attempts to sue Limewire for $75 trillion. Not a typo. Neither is the Duke Nukem delay. --Molly

Buzz Out Loud 1364: It's not funny, it's art (podcast)

We're stealing lines from "Love, Actually" today, because Natali can quote it by heart when it's super a propos to a guy very disturbingly embedding a camera in the back of his own head. Ew. But hey, it's art! Also, Twitter says it's not suppressing Wikileaks as a trending topic--although it's a trending topic in our show. And AT&T is the worst carrier in America, says Consumer Reports. Hey, at least we didn't say it this time. --Molly

Buzz Out Loud 1347: Got an STD? There's an app for that.

On today's show, a brief digression on the topic of McRibs and then back to the serious news of the Windows Phone 7 launch, Amazon doubling rev share for newspaper and magazine publishers, and broadband satellite service with real speeds. Also, our review of the first TV with Google TV inside, and the best looking iPhone game ever. --Molly

Buzz Out Loud 1338: Avatar 2: The tree of money (podcast)

The New Nook Color makes its debut: is it half a loaf or a half-bottle of wine? It's a tortured set of analogies, but we hope you'll get the point. Plus, big news about the show's host lineup (welcome Brian Tong!), Spotify is in the news but still not in the U.S., and the white iPhone 4 officially reaches "annoying tech unicorn" status. Oh, and "Avatar" will never die. Ever. --Molly

How to embarrass someone with an iPad

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Barnes and Noble announces the new touch-screen Nook Color

T-Mobile customers will be able to use their phones to tether the Net to other devices starting November 3

The white iPhone 4 is delayed until the spring

You can get free laser engraving on the iPad

MySpace gets a much-needed makeover

Yahoo Mail also gets a makeover--with social networking to Facebook and Twitter

LimeWire is ordered to shut down all sharing features, leaving only the music store up and running

The Sony Walkman apparently is not dead in the U.S. The cassette … Read more

Windows 7, LimeWire, Flash flaw

Your eyes may be glued to the iPhone 4 headlines coming out of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, but Apple isn't the only company with news to share.

At Microsoft's TechEd conference in New Orleans, Microsoft estimated it would have a public beta for the first service pack update to Windows 7 ready by July. Though the updates will be minor, if you're using Windows 7, keep your peepers open.

In May we reported that analysts predicted the demise of popular peer-to-peer service LimeWire. Sure enough, last Friday the RIAA asked the courts to pull the plug. … Read more