Tuesday, August 13, 2002

The Future of Digital Television. TiVO and ReplayTV have created an edge condition in the market for media, one that consumers will only be able to take advantage of for a limited time. But the turmoil could lead to reasonable compromises instead of wrong-headed overregulation. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

Toy Instrument CD. Mike Langlie made a wonderful CD called Twink, which features music made with thrift store toy instruments. The record label went belly up, and now Mike is trying to sell the CDs himself to recoup his production costs. Won't you help? Link Discuss [Boing Boing Blog] Been there..."Goosebump", by The Residents and Snakefinger, is a collection of nursery rhymes originated on instruments from a Toy-R-Us store. But always a good idea :)

Present at the Creation: The Electric Guitar Until about 70 years ago, musical instruments remained pretty much the same as they were for centuries. Then a new invention changed modern music and popular culture as well -- the electric guitar. For the continuing series Present at the Creation, NPR's Christopher Joyce traces the origins of an instrument that changed popular music forever. [NPR's Morning Edition]

Ashcroft asked to prosecute file swappers. As if this man doesn't have anything better to do, U.S. lawmakers are asking that Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Justice Department put the hammer down on Internet users who download unauthorized songs and other copyrighted material.... [Lockergnome's Bits and Bytes]

File-swapping foes exert P2P pressure. As the entertainment industry shifts its anti-piracy efforts to individuals, a little-known 1997 law could spell possible prison time for those convicted. [CNET News.com]