Intimate Confessions
That were some fertile talks for sure, just sad while they had so much fun they totally forgot to talk about human rights and abducted german citizens.
Happy New Year! (belated)
I know I treat my english-speaking website like a stepchild lateley, but I do promise to improve update-frequency. As a good start I put some new photos online showing snowfalls and lights during the season.
Enjoy!
George W Bush gives the flag to victims
George W Bush decided to bring the flag to each and every victim of his familys crusades.
With over 30000 Iraqis killed, 2100+ heroes dead and an unkown number of collateral damage during the last Iraq War alone. This journey is reported to be Bush´s final one, as he promised not only to bring the flag, but to pay all funeral costs and 1 million dollars US to the families the victims left behind. Since this travel will take quite a while, Bush is not expected to return during his lifetime, elections will be on January 1st, 2006.
baseface.com says: Great Job Mr. Bush!
Apple chickens out on mobile Industry
As The Register reported Apple ditched the ringtone segment from their iTunes Music Store.
What a coward´s move there Steve Jobs, I submit you would have stirred up the entire ringtone market for sure, but you missed that opportunity. Ringtone market in Europe has always been a big cash cow for mobile service providers, kids paying up to 3 Euro for one single ringtone. With that argument given it´s easy to understand why Steve Jobs didn´t take the challenge, it would have been hard to explain, why you could buy a song for 99 cent, but had to pay 2 or 3 dollars/euro for a ringtone.
On the other hand, selling ringtones at a price like 50 cent, which I would regard as sufficient, would make some maybe important future partners like eg Vodafone mad at Apple and it would have spoiled furture business possibilities.
However, shareholder-value wins over value, again.
GW Bush and his iPod
After baseface.com got wire of George W Bush using an ipod, there was no way I could stop special investigator "laylow" from finding out what´s on the playlist of the most powerful man in the world. I cannot explain how he managed to get the results as I do protect my sources und if you wanna know, sue me, I will be the one carrying the heavy wooden cross in the courtyard.
George W Bush´s top 10 tunes on his iPod.
01. The Chipmunks - Whistle while you work 02. Phil Collins - Against all Odds 03. Gunshot - World War 3 04. Suicidal Tendencies - War inside my head 05. Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK 06. The Ink Spots - I don´t want to set the world on fire 07. The Chipmunks - Ragtime Cowboy Joe 08. Cranberries - Zombie 09. Paul Hardcastle - 19 10.
Good Percentage, Soldier
Howdy Partner, that was some grrrrreat shooting out there.
I know it is digusting to put up a deathcount, but facing 2140 Victims on US Army side, this war seems more like a butcher´s job. Regarding these 30 k dead people only count the victims since 2003 invasion, another landmark I wish I had never seen during my lifetime.
Bush´s new guy in PR department
After getting into some trouble about kidnapping a german citizen. The President of the United States hired a new Chief in Charge for his Department for PR and Misinformation.
Apple issues and the future [again]
The K-10 form filed by AAPL concerning the the review of the past financial Period points out clearly where Apple is heading.
The filing said: "[Apple] is currently focused on market opportunities related to digital music distribution and related consumer electronic devices, including iPods. The company faces increasing competition from other companies promoting their own digital music products, including music enabled cell phones, distribution services, and free peer-to-peer music services. "These competitors include both new entrants with different market approaches, such as subscription services models, and also larger companies that may have greater technical, marketing, distribution, and other resources than those of [Apple]."
I see no need to comment on this as it is exactly my point all the way, Apple has turned into an audio company rather than a company building computers for creative people.
At the same time AAPL is reported to leave the path of high price, high performance machines towards cheap products for the mass market.
Shareholder value wins over value.
Home Sweet Home Mr. Bush
Baseface.com managed to get a mini-cam into GW Bush´s bathroom. Though his dad claimed he was not even fit to sit on the throne, baseface.com proves daddy was wrong.
Nice interior, Mr President!
GW Bush eaten by Cow
It was about time the cows fought back and ate the cowboys. (Picture by LLL - thank you)
Meanwhile, Steve Jobs in x86 Hell
Not much going on concerning Apple, Steve Jobs and Macintosh. Rumor Sites keep spinning on Intel-Macs and those problems regarding OS X on generic x86 hardware. Its all leaking to the net like mad... it cannot be stopped anymore, even if Steve Jobs now told the world, "it was all a joke, we won´t change", it is too late.
The moment the first OS X version ran on an intel machine, no matter developer or hacker, the fight was lost in fact. It is not important how much money and time AAPL will spend for securing their OS from being pirated and installed anywhere, Steve opened Pandorra´s box and now he has to deal with the results.
I dont care about imaginary patens or whatever TCP,PCP,or TMCIA chip can be found inside the new Intelmacs, it will be cracked. Maybe Mr Jobs did never get to this point, but he is not omnipotent and Apple alongside isnt either. Maybe it is not his fault but the cultists fault that made him their leader, maybe he did not even want things to come to this.
Nevertheless things do change very fast when it comes to AAPL at the moment.
Apple OS X webkit security problem
There we go, OS X legendary security has been open to manipulation all the way.
Secureosx.com reports on a problem in Apple´s webkit technology which allows to fool the user into believing to eg visit a trusted website while in fact the user is already trapped in a phishing setup. This is some serious threat, I just hope Apple will solve this problem quick.
With Apple-cultists searching for excuses rather than solutions I doubt the fix for this problem is soon to be expected, stay alert !
Defeat Sony DRM and Apple twice
Surprise , Sony´s bad rootkit DRM technique seems to be easily defeated using a piece of tape.
The user can simply apply a fingernail-sized piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disc, rendering session 2 - which contains the self-loading DRM software, unreadable.
Reminds me of those times you could trick DRM CDs with a marker pen.
Two not to friendly news came up for AAPL today, as they have been sued again over patent infringment which seems to concern the itunes application. The other news Apple-cultists and investors won´t like is OSX 10.4.3 for INTELmac has been cracked and will be available on filesharing-networks for sure.
I am still sure there are even more news on the leaked 10.4.3 to come - some country´s ZDNet will testrun it for sure, those guys seem to be on Apple´s "green list" to violate EULA.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs Parody on SNL
Have a little sunday´s laugh, a real funny parody on Steve Jobs and his ever changing ipod products has been reported by ipodgarage.com.
You can watch the clip from the show here or in facebase media archive.
Have Fun!
Q&A on Sony rootkit,WOZ and a big thank you
I feel it is getting boring but it is to start off with Sony again.
The Seatle Times has published a Q&A on Sony´s rootkit and possible security threats. The Q&A is not too detailed and a lot of questions remain unanswered, but the author welcomes readers to send questions via mail.
Steve Wozniak will recieve a honorary degree from Kettering University. Congrats WOZ !
If I could, I would give a honorary degree to brandcenter.de for always designing and creating the little pictures I need so desperately for my web projects.
Thank you!
Sony, Open Source and Apple
Is there a day to pass without a news or a blogpost about Sony? This Company got some serious technical problems for sure. Technical means in all fields of the trade. Not only do they use stolen code from open source MP3 application/codec LAME, but they had to put up a list of 52 rootkit "infected" music cds, because Sony´s Uninstaller did cause more trouble than the rootkit itself.
Remember to report the eff.org in case you own one of the cds and/or ran into trouble with it.
Meanwhile in Cupertino,silence, but rumor sites keep Apple fans in motion reporting about new gadgets like the never-forgotten idea of an iPod PDA. Harry McCracken for PC World´s Techlog sums up the things to come.
I really hope those Intelbooks will be released soon, I cannot wait to see the all new benchmarks that will paint a beautiful picture of how superior the x86 is over the PPC. The PPC which is, as Steve Jobs wanted to make us believe many years before, more powerful than any x86. Do the facts really have changed from one day to the other? If that is the case, why do the other companies like Microsoft or Sony switch to PPC platform?
These questions will be answered as soon as the Intelbook finally arrives, or new lies will be told...
Sony DRM exploited by hackers
Lets start right away with the fun news. Sony busted on distributing and installing spyware-like DRM rootkit on you PC, strikes again, this time the Uninstaller Sony itself offered is used by Hackers to exploit the rootkit DRM and take over computers or log personal details.
Silicon.com reports some took the malicious Uninstaller off their websites. Even defaced and hijacked online Uninstallers are reported.
Thats a big one for sure and its fully ok for Sony to have loads of trouble coming up on their dirty tricks.
EMI,Warner and Sony BMG to push iTMS prices
Music Industry knows how to do some bad timing thats for sure.
Today Forbes.com reports Alain Levy, boss of EMI group, said, he expected Steve Jobs to offer new pricing models to the users of the iTunes Music Store. What does that mean for the consumer? EMI,Warner and Sony have been pulling strings to make Apple move away from their fixed-price system (0.99 $US) towards a more flexible one. They would love the Music Store to sell older tracks for less while selling the new stuff at a price higher than 1 dollar.
Seems like music industry started an internal race for the "scare-the-consumer-away" championship.
Steve Jobs scores 2nd place
Steve Jobs reaches a respectable 2nd place in Steven Levy´s " Can´t we all just get along " awards. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is awarded with 2nd place for keeping people from playing their legally bought iTunes Music Store tracks on any hardware or portable player other than the ipod and/or itunes application. At the same time the consumer cannot play their DRM tracks from other online stores on the ipod, so AAPL got their product locked up nice and tightly.
This years winner was AOL for limiting their AIM services as a closed community.
Strange... Sony´s rootkit mishabits do not appear on that list...coincidence?
Personally I would have had Steve getting first price, not for the dirty tricks, but for the ability to make his followers believe even the biggest lies.
Sony CDs pulled back and accused again
Stormy weather for Sony and Sony BMG nowadays.
Sony BMG is reported to not only to pull DRM rootkit CDs from sales but also to exchange already bought DRM rootkit CDs for free. Thats at least one sign of interest in consumers wishes. But thinking again, if Sony really cared about people buying from them, Sony would not have put up that nasty DRM system in the first place. I am definitely not going to buy any Sony BMG product in the future or more brief until they change their ways for good.
The mother of BMG on the other hand is not doing any better. Sony is reported to have taken part in a cartel to fix prices for internet retailers. A complaint by major online-discounters has been filed to the Office of Fair Trading.
Things are not working out too fine for Sony that is for sure. I have to submit, I love the idea of seeing that giant tumble and fall. Maybe just one of my morbid phantasies, maybe a colorful metaphor for the things to come.
AAPL, MSFT and SNE earn on DRM
Who´s bad? Those who always thought Microsoft was the source of all evil and DRM in the world you were proven wrong for sure during the last weeks. Sony got busted for installing rootkit DRM on users machines, Microsoft takes action on removing the rootkit, considered as a possible security hole. In fact first viruses/trojanhorses/worms whatever you call those exploits have already been spotted taking advantage of Sony´s rootkit to hide themselves.
So Microsoft seems to be that knight on the white horse protecting the user, well you will have to pay for their help in one way or the other for sure.
Finally there is Apple, a company run by an ex-hippie, but do you think Steve Jobs ever imagined things coming to this? I am positive he never did, even not in his wildest acid dreams. So were does Apple stand? On the one hand they made big deals with record industry for sure, one the other hand DRM is in fact already built so deep into OSX most users do not notice until they try to burn a cd with something else than iTunes(DRM music can only be burned on a mac using Apple´s iTunes application).
It seems the user got only to choose bad from worse.
I have never been a LINUX geek and in fact I have made some folks from the LINUX community mad at me by some comments on certain sites, but when it comes to freedom there is no half-step solution. So I will have to reconsider operating systems no doubt.
Quo vadis?
Forget the iPod - go for a "PEZpod"
Pat Misterovich presents his homemade mp3 player. Remember PEZ candy? Sure you do. Now imagine an ipod shuffle in a PEZ dispenser.
PEZmp3 is a fully licensed product, that means the PEZ company set up a deal with Pat Misterovich, who is a stay-at-home-dad assembling the PEZpods. So if you like the idea of supporting this surely great idea you should hurry up since its a limited edition.
Make sure to check the features site its full of those little details, like popping the players head back as if you wanted a PEZ for turning on the music.
I am sure these thingys will score high cash on ebay as soon as "official" sales are over.
iPod phone logical next step?
Does one really need much to imagine an Apple mobile phone based on the iPod nano?
How about Apple´s friendship with Motorola? Does Apple really want to spoil expections with that lousy ROKR mobile? Or is it more a testrun for the real deal? How about a joint venture in the field of hardware? How about installing one of those small phone devices into the iPod nano? The backside of the nano would be just perfect for phone mic and speaker.
C´mon Apple give the crowd what it wants...
Apple and bogus patents
As I blogged 2 days ago a patent filed by Apple describing how to protect OS X from running on gerneric x86 hardware, suddently popped up from the big nothing.
Today Andrew Orlowski of channelregister.co.uk put up some interesting facts from the patent and the things happening around it. Especially the wrong spellings and unclear descriptions of the technique make engineers wonder if that patent will be accepted in the first place, they even wonder if it will work at all in the second place.
Looks like AAPL filed some imaginary friend there for ensuring stockholders there would be no whatsoever danger for the company´s most valuable piece OS X. Though I reject any kind of TCPA and DRM , I should certainly hope there is some substance behind this patent, for Apple´s sake.
Sony BMG to be slapped for DRM
A big feature on Scurityfocus.com reports about the whole story about Sony´s just discovered DRM technique.This informative and richly linked article gives a perfect insight in the things going on.
Numerous lawfirms are reported to have filed complains.Jason Schultz of EFF looks out for victims of the rootkit DRM technique.
This whole thing is another disgusting episode in music industry´s fight for profit and even worse control.They still dont see that they do scare people off their products,they still believe they are right, but how can they be right,installing software on your computer without letting you know or control it like some cheap spyware rat? Maybe those well dressed guys and girls at Sony should get their behinds to the streets and listen to what the people want. Music Industry has to understand they cannot simply do whatever they like.
Before I forget... if Sony BMG sales go down from now on , its not the people´s fault but their very own,but again I am sure they will blame the consumer for their mistake.
This makes me sick!
OS X on Intel facts
A very interesting article on OS X on Intel has been published on eweek.com.The quite long text points the reader towards numerous interesting links to gain insights on "Marklar" and other milestones from Apple´s road to Intel.
After reading the article I somehow came to the conclusion, Intel chips may only be found in consumer products rather than in pro series(bye,bye Intel Powerbook?!).On the other hand news on Intelmacs rush in like crazy,which supports the idea of early Intelmacs in Q1/2006.
Times do change,unfortunately in some cases.
Mac OS X on x86 reviewed
Mac OS X on x86 reviewed by ZDNet´s Jason O'Grady -- It's been proven that OS X can be hacked to run on Intel's x86 hardware platform, but is the performance going to suffer? -> http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=33
So ZDNet submits to have violated Apple´s EULA by stating "crazy Brits" from ZDNet England would have installed an OS X Intel developer version on a generic Toshiba Notebook, well I take it there will be some lawsuits soon. - Somebody dropped the dime...
Quicktime,OS Wars and Cultists
The more Apple´s operating system gets into the focus of security companies, the more possible security holes seem to be found.Zdnet Australia reports about a security problem in Quicktime that could allow an attacker to remotely run code on others machines.
Did anyone really think Mac users wouldnt be target for (virtual) attacks? Sad enough, yes, there are people who will tell you "there is no need to worry, there are no whatsoever security problems on Mac OS".
Apple gears up for Armageddon, thats not much of a new thing to me,again an "Apple insider" claims, Apple would have no problem making sure future software products only to run on Apple hardware.The fun part is, they talk about a patent there, so its not even sure it has been built yet.
BTW. talking about patents, a way to travel the universe, with no need for more energy than the amount powering a flashlight, in the speed of thought - details later...
Usually Mac users are counted among the better-off and better educated, but that doesnt mean there are not spoiled fruits in the basket.Especially when it comes to stock market, AAPL shareholders seem to have some problems with people having other opinions, they even tend to get personal in such cases.
AAPL downrated - Sony busted
Now how can this happen? Isnt growth eternal? It seems like it is not.Even at forbes.com they are busy discussing the reason for that rebelious broker house to cut expections.
A reader of the baseblog(this website) pointed me to another blog about Sony installing cloaked DRM software on peoples computers.While Sony tried to downplay the situation ever since they were busted with the smoking gun - they seem to have changed their politics now and offer advice on removing the illegally installed DRM software.
If you are interested in this field of knowledge you should check slyck.com every now and then.
RIAA vs the people
There is the grandfather who is ordered to pay a 600k $US for his grandson downloading four movies via iMesh(which the grandson owns legally in the form of DVDs - well more a MIAA case) and this is only one of the numerous cases you can find in this blog by a New York Lawfirm.
While I do not in any way support infringement of copyrighted material, the guys on the right side of the law seem to have no guilty conscious about illegal and half way professional ways to get people sued.
If MIAA,RIAA and whatever all those IAAs are told, keep on their rude and frivolous habits in pushing people into lawsuits, there is no surprise in people rejecting their rules and denying reason.
