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Monday, June 24, 2002 |
Spectrum Delay: Guess Who Loses?
"Would you give up Spanish-language television programs to gain high-speed wireless Internet access in your home?...
'Six years ago, the broadcasters were notified by the FCC that they would have to move,' said Kimberly Kuo, spokeswoman for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. 'This didn't come up last week....'
The spectrum, currently occupied by broadcasters that operate UHF TV channels 52 through 69, will be sold to wireless service providers. But under federal regulations, the broadcasters, who are required to convert from analog to digital signals, don't have to surrender their spectrum licenses until 2007.
The uncertainty surrounding the availability of the licenses forced Congress to pass legislation last Tuesday night that postponed the auction slated to take place the next day. The FCC is currently revising its rules to ensure a smoother hand-off of the spectrum.
But as the FCC scrambles to get its act together, many consumers face the possibility of losing local programming like foreign language and religious shows and/or never seeing cell-phone coverage in their area." [Wired News]
Wow - UHF. There's a term kids today will never know. Remember having to turn the dial on the TV to get the best picture? That's not even one that you can someday lament the loss of to your grandkids: "when I was a kid...."
11:56:51 PM Permanent link here
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Frankin eBookman
"We're currently examining the different models being used by (mainly public) libraries to circulate eBooks. We have two of the first generation Rocket Readers currently sold by Gemstar eBookstore and considering the possibilty of adding additional readers.
We're also looking at the Audible.com MP3 audio ebook program for libraries as well. This will require an investment in MP3 capable players as well. What would be ideal is to use a hybrid player/reader that could handle both formats. Franklin's eBookman is a first gen attempt at such a device.
I'm hoping to locate a few libraries out there that are using the Franklin's and gather some feedback on how they've worked as both reader and player. I've located a few, but (not surprisingly) they appear to be mainly university libraries.
Anyone out there in 'blogspace aware of any libraries (hopefully public) that have succesfullly implemented ebooks using a hybrid device like the Franklins?" [LibTech Weblog]
I'll have to dig through my digital and paper stacks to see if I know of a public library using these, but I really wanted to use this post to highlight a little-remembered fact about the first generation of Rocketbooks. We have three of them at SLS, two regular and one Pro. We purchased them so that staff at our member libraries coudl see for themselves what they were like. The one advantage these particular models have over the newer ones is that they allow you to transfer any HTML page or Word document onto them.
So in the past, I encouraged libraries to load their current newsletters, calendars, etc. on their circulating Rocketbooks. With the REB1100 and 1200, you can't do that anymore. You're locked into the content Gemstar (and the publishers) want to make available to you, and guess what - that doesn't include free material. Big surprise (not)!
This is one fork in the digital content road that we are now facing. Besides the lack of standards, interoperability, and usability, another reason ebook hardware hasn't taken off is content. There just isn't a varied enough menu from which to select (imagine your favorite O'Reilly books on one reader and you'll start to understand). Even if the industry figures out all of the problems in the first sentence of this paragraph, ebook readers still won't go anywhere if the content is difficult to obtain, expensive, and immobile (in other words, not portable). This is what happens when you reduce the number of formats and material available to a specific device - no one wants the device.
If the entertainment industry follows this same tact and tries to lock down all of its content so that it's in unusable formats and is not portable, no one will want it. Older devices become premium over newer devices because they play more formats, or so the theory goes. If new PCs have copyright protection built into them, no one will want them and they'll just stick with the old ones. Which is exactly what might happen to those first Rocketbook readers. I remember lamenting how quickly the SLS RBs became outdated. Now I'm starting to think we might be able to sell them on eBay someday for a handsomely sum.
11:40:27 PM Permanent link here
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In response to my most recent post about authentication in aggregators, Matthew Ernest left me a comment that provides some insight into one possible implementation.
"Three words: HTTP Basic Authentication.
On the client side, I just looked at xml.rss.readService and from what I see the Radio aggregator will already accept a RSS feed URL with a username and password in it, i.e. http://username:password@server.com/path/rss.xml, and include the Authentication: Basic headers in the http call.
On the server side: .htaccess to set a password files for acces to the RSS file. Note that custom error pages should be used that are also RSS so that they'll show up in the agregator.
If you want to charge money somewhere in there, there are plenty of third party services to take peoples credit cards and manage password files accordingly. As usual, our friends in the porn industry are way ahead of us."
I'm sufficiently intrigued. When we get further into the SLS portal, I know I'll have feeds that I want to be available to our members only. I'll have to re-visit this topic at that point. Thanks, Matthew!
11:05:54 PM Permanent link here
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Disney Mug Holders, Beware
"The new system of computerized monitoring of fountain refills being experimented with at Typhoon Lagoon could tighten a rather loose policy at Disney's resorts. They sell 16-ounce souvenir mugs for $9.99.
Guests may refill them at resort snack bars unlimited times with soda, coffee or tea for the length of their stay. Cashiers sell the mugs and then are supposed to keep a watchful eye as guests get their own refills.
But some Disney World employees and regular guests say they take the mugs on repeat visits to the snack bars and fill up -- basically a lifetime of free drinks for one purchase. They are occasionally offered on eBay and at garage sales, testimony to their timeless value.
Cashiers say the mugs' designs aren't changed enough for them to spot old ones. But the new system being tried at Typhoon Lagoon employs a bar code that's read electronically at the drink dispenser and recognizes old mugs." [Orlando Sentinel, via Boing Boing]
10:53:01 PM Permanent link here
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"Semant-O-Matic may be just the thing. Its author, Maciej Ceglowski, calls it a Blog semantic search engine." [Scripting News]
We're going to need a higher level of search engine than just Google for blogs because the semantics are so complicated. I know on my own site it's difficult to find that needle in a haystack, even with ht:dig (which I know isn't ideal, but is better than limited searching from free, third-party services). On an intranet especially, semantic nuances and relationships become increasingly important. All the better when you can implement meta tags.
Here are some more details about the Semant-O-Matic:
"This site indexes the contents of eleven weblogs over the period March - June 2002 ( a total of 1440 posts ). The goal of this search engine is to demonstrate a fuzzy-search technique called latent semantic indexing.
Traditional search engines use keyword and phrase matching to find relevant results in a document collection. LSI search engines look at patterns of word co-occurence across many documents to determine which documents are conceptually close to one another. This allows them to return relevant results for a search query even if the document returned does not contain the keyword or phrase....
Results are color coded. A keyword search will always return results that match on at least one keyword. Results with dark grey headers match on all keywords; results with lighter grey headers match on at least one, and results with red headers do not contain any of the actual keywords.
There are two short lists of keywords at the top of each result - one shows you the top seven keywords using regular keyword ranking, while the other is a guess at the seven most relevant keywords by the LSI algorithm. These keywords are hotlinked, if you click on one, the search engine will run an LSI search on that keyword....
There is a saved stories basket in the left column that lets you collect a set of results, and then search for more results that resemble them. This is useful if you are getting a lot of noise in a search, and want to train the search engine to be a little more selective. You can add any result to the basket by clicking on the 'save' link next to the title. You can view your list of saved results by clicking on the 'view' link in the basket box, or else empty it altogether by clicking on 'clear'. To remove individual results, click on 'view' and then use the 'remove' link next to each title you want to weed out."
There's even a graphical results set which is still under construction. Very impressive!
10:09:03 PM Permanent link here
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3G: Don't Believe the Hype
"While some think that so-called third-generation, or 3G, wireless networks will be viable and necessary, others believe 3G is a largely a waste of money for governments, carrier companies, consumers and applications developers alike.
First-generation wireless networks used analog technology to transmit voice; the second generation (2G) went digital, adding capacity to the network, increasing voice quality and letting data be transmitted as well. 2.5G technology lets packets of data be sent separately from voice, allowing always-on data connectivity. 3G promises super-fast data transmission and increases in capacity, a major issue for overburdened wireless networks.
A veritable alphabet soup of abbreviations has sprung up to describe the standards for these networks. Most of the world uses the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is the 2.5g upgrade for GSM. Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) gives GSM networks the ability to handle 3G-level data transmission speeds. A competing network standard, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and its upgrade, 1XRTT, allow data speeds comparable to those of GPRS....
Wharton public policy and management professor Gerald Faulhaber is pessimistic about the future of 3G. 'I just don't see 3G as having legs. Essentially, 3G is supposed to be broadband for your cell phone. It was originally touted as a 2mbps system. In the real world, it's more like 200kbps to 300kbps or less,' Faulhaber explains....
The current front-runner, Faulhaber noted, is in Japan, where NTT DoCoMo has launched a mobile phone service very popular with teenagers. 'The best thing out there is NTT DoCoMo's iMode. It has a fairly large screen, and yes, it can show you Web clips. But you can't do too much with it. There's no keyboard, and it's difficult to navigate. Even in Japan, its primary use has not been Web access,' Faulhaber said, alluding to the fact that many people send messages or play games on iMode devices instead of surfing the Internet." [CNET News.com]
Although there are a lot of acronyms in this article, it's a good overview of where cell networks are now, where they hope to be, and where they might actually end up. (Note to self: good electronic handout for presentations.) Overall, I agree with Faulhaber that 3G is a ways off at best, especially with the increase we're seeing in 802.11b wireless networks. Here's where we disagree, though:
"Faulhaber is skeptical of the promised uses for 3G technology, pointing out that much of the information people need on a mobile device doesn't require real-time updating at blinding speeds. 'E-mail? Yes, but you can do that now. Stock quotes? Same thing. That's all narrowband. I just can't imagine burning up the spectrum. People say they'd play music from their cell phone. But we have MP3 players for that -- and I don't need it every second. That's why we have radio. To find the closest restaurant? Sure, but I don't need that information updated to the minute!' he said, and such a restaurant-finding service can be done with 2.5G."
If copyright holders win out and we end up with The Heavenly Jukebox, rather than physical ownership of digital files, then we'll definitely be using portable devices (everything from a cell phone to an OQO) to access digital content because it will be banked on the servers of the folks that own it. In that scenario, your MP3 player is almost worthless, while your wireless device with subscription information becomes all-important. That device becomes like an FM radio - mobile access, but nothing that you actually own.
Faulhaber is also dating himself, because while I don't need my MP3 player every second, I want it every second. When I don't have it is inevitably when I really want it (grocery store lines, getting to the movie theater early, etc.). Net Gens expect music, video, and information to be accessible to them wherever they are, so that desire will only increase.
9:46:20 PM Permanent link here
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Roger Sween on the Minnesota State Library Smackdown
"An Open Letter to Minnesotans:
The Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning (CFL) has among its statutory requirements the responsibility for state level library services and development. As with its predecessor, the Minnesota Department of Education, such responsibility has been delegated to and administered by a unit in the department for nearly 100 years. Currently this unit is called Library Development and Services (LDS). Every state has a state library agency such as LDS, that is until now. In three weeks, LDS will be gone....
The state will have no designated agency for library leadership and coordination. Without a state library agency and state library director, Minnesota will lose its eligibility for federal library funds, currently at $2.6 million a year. When Congress funds the Literacy through School Media program at a level to require state administration, who will administer it? Federal programs require state level plans. The 2003-2007 plan for the Library Services and Technology Act is due July 30. How will it get in?
The state will lose many current services dependant on federal funds. This means no contract for backup interlibrary loan and reference service to public libraries. Tens of thousands of requests will go unfilled. Also gone will be the support to deliver education to front line library workers throughout the state who lack library degrees and cannot afford to travel to obtain them...." [Roger Sween in Library Juice]
There's more to this essay, so if you live in Minnesota you should read through it and learn more about what's happening to your State's libraries.
In Illinois, we were keeping an eye on the MnLINK project because, like our Virtual Illinois Catalog, it's using the old SiteSearch software to create a virtual catalog of libraries across a state. I personally like the regional, map-based approach MnLINK took, which is similar to something we're hoping to incorporate into the next version of VIC. In reading about MnLINK, it's difficult to tell exactly what impact the budget cuts will have, although it seems the effects will be more long-term (development) rather than short-term (having to shut down altogether). Certainly no LSTA money for future development, even though they're getting ready to implement interlibrary loan.
Public libraries in Arkansas are facing similar problems, but hopefully the legislators in these two states will come to their senses, as those in Washington did (even though Governor Gary Locke is still withholding some funds from the State Library).
1:26:00 PM Permanent link here
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Examples of Erroneously Blocked Web Sites: from the CIPA Decision
"The following examples come from the decision of the Third Circuit Court in ALA v. US, which is available at http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/02D0415P.HTM." [Library Juice]
Some examples from the decision itself, besides the usual suspects:
"The filtering programs also miscategorized a large number of sports Web sites. These included: a site devoted to Willie O'Ree, the first African-American player in the National Hockey League, http://www.missioncreep.com/mw/oree.html, which Websense blocked under its 'Nudity' category; the home page of the Sydney University Australian Football Club, http://www.tek.com.au/suafc, which N2H2 blocked as 'Adults Only, Pornography,' Smartfilter blocked as 'Sex,' Cyber Patrol blocked as 'Adult/Sexually Explicit' and Websense blocked as 'Sex'; and a fan's page devoted to the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, http://www.torontomapleleafs.atmypage.com, which N2H2 blocked under the 'Pornography' category."
That last URL either goes to a porn site or has images that could be considered inappropriate for minors (I think - it's in a foreign language so I can't be sure which), but the other two sites are pretty harmless. It's difficult to tell why they are being blocked by any filtering software.
Note, too, that someone at the District Court posted the decision by saving it to HTML in Corel Wordperfect 8, which doesn't seem to have understood all of the links so you'll have to manually copy URLs from the document if you go there to read through the full list.
12:45:32 PM Permanent link here
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CD Pirates in from the Cold
"Australia plans to endorse CD-copying kiosks in a controversial world-first plan that legalises music piracy.
The Australian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society will allow an Adelaide-based business to operate CD-pirating kiosks nationwide for a modest royalty payment.
The coin-operated kiosks could open in shopping malls, supermarkets or record stores from September and charge $5 for each CD 'burn'....
Experts told the Herald Sun the CD-pirating kiosks -- with superior sound quality to home burners and able to outwit anti-copying devices -- will be a winner with older users.
Music industry consultant and former copyright lawyer Owen Trembath said: 'The only ones whipping down to Woolies to make a burn will be parents. Mum has become the pirate....'
Mr Moore said the machine was intended for consumers who want to copy their own music CDs." [news.com.au, via Slashdot]
As the Slashdot post points out, this is hardly legitimized piracy since the owner has offered to pay a blanket royalty, and it's really no different than placing photocopiers in grocery stores, post offices, and libraries. What will be interesting to watch is if older users do start using these, or if they just ask their kids to copy discs for them.
7:11:23 AM Permanent link here
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Has anyone done a study comparing the number of blog posts to the weather? I'm finding that I'm more inclined to blog when it's not a beautiful day outside. The weather this weekend was very hot in the Chicagoland area, which means we spent a lot of time in the pool. Even with the wireless network, it's difficult to take the laptop in there. ;-)
On a side note, I've been inundated with email lately, so if you've written me and I haven't responded yet, please be patient. I am working my way through, so I promise to get back to you soon!
12:19:14 AM Permanent link here
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The Future of Profit: The Fate of the Commons in the IP World
"Now the ABA is at it again, this time proposing a formal resolution in favor of the CTEA, to be voted upon at an ABA meeting in Philadelphia on June 27:
'Resolved, that the Section of IP Law supports the principle that Congress has the power under the Copyright Clause (Article I, section 8, clause 8) of the United States Constitution to extend the term of existing copyrights; and Specifically, the Section favors the position that the Copyright Term Extension Act (Title I, P.L. 105-298) does not violate, and is fully in accordance with, the Copyright Clause and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.'
Alas, I have only just begun to parse. But the following passage struck me as particularly intriguing/amusing:
'[A]s stated in both the legislative history of the CTEA and the circuit court opinion in Eldred, the extension of copyright terms in the CTEA provides incentives for copyright owners to preserve valuable existing works. For example, many classic works are fixed in perishable media such as film, audiotape, paper, and canvas. Transferring such classics to digital format would improve the chances that greater numbers of people in future generations will be able to enjoy such works. The CTEA thus provides an incentive to digitize works, despite the substantial costs, by permitting copyright owners an additional 20 years to recoup their investments.'
So...extending copyright ad infinitum is an incentive to put culturally valuable creative works online, making them that much more accessible to 'future generations.'
That is, for a price." [Copyfight]
An excellent point! Of course, it's also true that a digital format doesn't ensure that the content will be accessible in the future. Bad ABA, bad!
12:06:57 AM Permanent link here
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© Copyright 2004 Jenny Levine.
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