Comments for Digital Mercury

Comment on Library of Congress adds (a dose of) sanity to DMCA by Info/Law » Is the DMCA Still Controversial?

Info/Law » Is the DMCA Still Controversial? — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:49:02 +0000

[...] Second, each recent round of the Librarian of Congress’s triennial DMCA rulemaking incorporates stronger and stronger protections for users. The 2006 rulemaking allowed DVD access controls to be circumvented by some users; the 2009 rulemaking (which was delayed until just last month) dramatically expanded this to include virtually all noncommercial users, so long as not too much of the underlying copyrighted content is taken (which looks an awful lot like a fair use type of inquiry). The latest rulemaking also preserves or extends some other exemptions that were aimed at maintaining fair uses of protected works, such as the provision allowing users to bypass the functionality that prevents e-books from being read aloud. The rulemaking further reinforces the connection between the DMCA and copyright by expressly exempting a number of activities that don’t have anything to do with copyright infringement, such as jailbreaking your smartphone or doing security testing on video games. The Librarian’s latest set of DMCA exemptions have won some favorable early reviews. [...]

Comment on Linkage by Will

Will — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:49:18 +0000

OK, “Magic Trackpad” is a really corny name, but I would rebut that it is still pretty awesome. I had always used a mouse with my laptops until I bought a MacBook two years ago. From that point on, the Trackpad has changed the way I use the computer.

I’d been looking for a mouse and keyboard setup to use with the HTPC in my living room. I tried using a normal mouse, and it just wouldn’t work properly on any of the surfaces near my couch. I was leaning towards getting a trackball until I saw this announcement. Now I’m pretty seriously considering blowing the $70 on this Trackpad, assuming it works the same as the one on my Macbook.

I’m still not sure what to do on the keyboard, though. I’m using a SIM Card-less iPhone (bascially an iPod Touch) as a remote control, and I’m thinking that would work as a basic keyboard, assuming I’m not doing much communicating (typing) on the HTPC. Still, I would probably drop $100-$150 if Apple could create a Trackpad/Keyboard combo that could switch between the two based on finger gestures. Given the portable Trackpad move, it seems like a logical step.

Comment on Google Promises “One Bill” with Android Broadband Tethering by Will

Will — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:30:55 +0000

Sure, I gues I’m thinking that $30-50 is on top of the base cable or cellular service. My base cellular plan with AT&T is $40, so the $25 minimum data plan is tacked on to that. And then Comcasts first arguably broadband internet service (>2mbps) starts at $60 per month (without cable TV service).

Whatever the exact amounts, I find it infuriating when the Comcast customer service person says, “Well, you could cancel your cable, but it would actually be cheaper to have the basic TV service with internet rather than the internet by itself.” So I really hope wireless companies can bring 4G to the home soon because the market is clearly in need of more competition.

Comment on Technology Competitiveness in South and Central America (Part I) by Hannibal

Hannibal — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:21:02 +0000

Thanks, John. I’ll dig up what I can on policy approaches and try to prepare some charts on literacy and urban density as well for next post.

Comment on Google Promises “One Bill” with Android Broadband Tethering by Hannibal

Hannibal — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:20:10 +0000

The $30-50 figure comes from AT&T Data Pro ($25) and Comcast broadband rates in my area ($25-43). Also the most recent Pew Internet project survey indicates prices of $30-40, I think. I personally don’t have 3G but it is said that speeds run from 2 to 5 megabits per second, I suppose not adequate for a lot of TV watching or online gaming but perhaps for YouTube and other purposes. http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/23/technology/4g_networks/. Verizon is giving away mobile 3g hotspot with some Palm phones with data caps of 5gb or more, which might bring tethering within reach of some users.

Comment on Google Promises “One Bill” with Android Broadband Tethering by Will

Will — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:04:33 +0000

$30-50?!? Try $60-80, a piece. I recently decided to cancel my cable and upgrade my Internet service to compensate for the fact that all the videos I watch will have to be streamed over the web. But the costs are really out of control.

As a recent Nexus One purchaser, I’ve been pleased with the move from the iPhone and have been very pleased with Android’s latest OS update (Froyo). At the same time, I don’t think we can talk seriously about tethering as your one and only broadband source until we have ubiquitous 4G and are not charged based on the amount of data we use.

We’re so close to being able to cut the cord and abandon cable completely, but for those who still love TV, the Internet is still an imperfect replacement, and for those who just want reliable high-speed Internet, we’re still left with a couple of overpriced options for service. I’m hopeful we’ll be there in a couple of years, though.

Comment on Library of Congress adds (a dose of) sanity to DMCA by Will

Will — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:51:31 +0000

I dunno, probably not much. Both the Register of the Copyright Office (http://www.copyright.gov/docs/mbpbio.html) and the Librarian of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/bicentennial/bios/preserve/billington.html) have held their positions for more than a decade.

In fact, while Obama has consistently been on the right side of the net neutrality debate and made the appointments to back it up, his position on copyright and DMCA issues is more questionable — including his packing the justice dept with former RIAA cronies (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/04/obama-taps-fift/). And while his appointed “copyright czar” appears to be somewhat of a moderate, she also is pushing for ACTA and other fairly draconian measures to fight copyright infringement. Count me unimpressed.

Comment on Library of Congress adds (a dose of) sanity to DMCA by John Blevins

John Blevins — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:20:33 +0000

To put on a political cynic hat, how much of this (if any) can be attributed to change of presidential administration?

Comment on Technology Competitiveness in South and Central America (Part I) by John Blevins

John Blevins — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:39:19 +0000

Very cool stuff. I would definitely be interested in learning more about the countries’ different policy approaches and the extent to which (if any) they can overcome basic demographic realities (income, etc.).

Comment on FCC Broadband Report: The Good, The Bad, & the Ugly by John Blevins

John Blevins — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:05:01 +0000

A keen eye — i really just had the good and the bad. But leaving out the ugly would deprive everyone of the Clint Eastwood picture