17 Feb 2009
Draconian DRM Revealed In Windows 7

If only half of this is true, it'll make Vista look like a cakewalk. And insure that "XP Forever!" becomes a rallying cry for a long, long time.

A few days' testing of Windows 7 has already disclosed some draconian DRM, some of it unrelated to media files. A legitimate copy of Photoshop CS4 stopped functioning after we clobbered a nagging registration screen by replacing a DLL with a hacked version. With regard to media files, the days of capturing an audio program on your PC seem to be over (if the program originated on that PC). The inputs of your sound card are severely degraded in software if the card is also playing an audio program (tested here with Grooveshark). This may be the tip of the iceberg. Being in bed with the RIAA is bad enough, but locking your own files away from you is a tactic so outrageous it may kill the OS for many persons. Many users will not want to experiment with a second sound card or computer just to record from online sources, or boot up under a Linux that supports ntfs-3g just to control their files.

(link) [Slashdot]

07:32 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link

Two Stories: One Graphic

TV station founder beheads wife

The founder of an Islamic television station in upstate New York aimed at countering Muslim stereotypes has confessed to beheading his wife, authorities said.

(link) [CNN.com]

Mistress contest takes tragic turn

A married Chinese businessman who could no longer afford five mistresses held a competition to decide which one to keep.

(link) [CNN.com]

07:13 /Humor | 2 comments | permanent link