June 2006 Archives
Another run at cleaning out the mailbox...
- From the creator of the "world's smallest website," check out this variation on the old "Where's Waldo" books. This site has the potential to be a massive time suck.
- Gizmodo was kind enough to pass along a website that saved and scanned all the original Macintosh print ads from 1984.
- I'm as interested in music theory as the average non-music major, but I'm not exactly sure whether Fibonacci Music really makes sense (or a positive listening experience).
- Dictionaraoke -- just because.
- I haven't joined the fun, but I'm intrigued by the BoingBoing-organized protest against SmartFilter and their continuing filter circumvention tips.
- Did you know that in addition to being Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, David Bowie was also a crimefighter?
And even though I'm not an iPod owner or user, I was intrigued by three different sets of speakers now available or coming soon...
- Corgi (a maker of die-cast auto replicas) is coming out with tricked-out models (Nissan 240 SX, Cadillac Escalade) that also act as audio speakers.
- The SpeckTone allows you to relive the look and feel of the 1950s and the birth of consumerism while simultaneously celebrating its death (if the RIAA is to be believed)
- And following up on my recent look at trademark mania, here's a nice spoof -- the folding apple speaker designed for use with Apple products.
Finally got around to rescreening Side A of the obscure midwest-ish compilation T.M.I. 015 and pulled a couple more tracks for your listening pleasure.
- Johnny Clampett and the Walkers -- Nervous Breakdown
- Club of Rome -- Sacrifice
"Nervous Breakdown" is a slow-burning mid-tempo rocker that makes a nice twin-bill with the F-Models. "Sacrifice" is a new-wave, hoppy-poppy, synth-driven bit from Philadelphia.
Check out Side B tracks from this earlier post. As for the stuff I omitted, the Dancing Cigarettes' "Jungle Book" is on the the "non-Gulcher" CD, The School of Secret Music, while a couple versions of "Dream Factory" are available from Chris Koenigsberg's own Carsickness site. The remainder were really off in the art-wankery department -- moderately interesting and well-intentioned ideas, but not implemented well.
The standard disclaimers apply -- please don't link directly to the sound files (to conserve bandwidth), and if you're a rightsholder, I apologize and will promptly take down the files on notice.
The good people at BoingBoing have received (and now shared with their readers) a cease-and-desist letter from the attorneys representing a UK-based outfit that claims exclusive rights in all electronic media transmissions of live World Cup action. But rather than a straight C&D (which requires that the potentially infringing or improper act is already taking place), this is a preemptive strike -- the World Cup finals haven't started yet, and there's no evidence that BoingBoing would be hosting live accounts of games.
FOLLOW-UP: One intrepid BoingBoing reader decided to create a video detailing the kinds of things he'd be doing instead of watching streaming World Cup video... slightly juvenile but mildly entertaining, even to those (like me) who will watch some games (though more likely in a pub than over the Internet). Bonus question: did this reader get (or need) clearances to use Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll Part II" in his video?
I can't say that the letter (JPG) was sent in bad faith, but I would think that a little more due diligence would be in order -- perhaps establishing that BoingBoing was in fact interested in sporting events. More likely, the letter is trying to prevent links to other sites (presumably also "under surveillance") who are streaming content improperly. Without getting into the exciting debate over which nation's laws govern the interwebthing, hyperlinks in the context of legitimate reportage on a major Net-impacting event (how much live streaming occurs, what kind of load on the net, how is IP multicasting and multi-homing working, etc.) would not seem to create even "contributory liability" under most legal regimes. I'm also curious how BB got selected for the honor of a letter -- and did the gang over at Engadget (a Time Warner property through AOL) get the same treatment?
