Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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It's another bitsy-Friday with no earth-shattering reports on the wires but
quite a bit of small stuff worthy of comment.
First-up, the music industry is enjoying runaway success with the sale of
legal downloads -- but they're still more intent on focusing on how all their
customers are crooks who "steal" music at every opportunity.
Don't these folks sound like those cranky old people who moan endlessly because,
while on their daily walk to the shops, they found a $50 note instead of a $100 one?
Come on you dorks -- the iPod is here and the way you sell music has already
changed forever, get with the 21st century!
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On a more worrying note for those who value their privacy and personal
freedoms, the US government seems hell-bent on gaining access to Google's
search records so that they can see what citizens are looking for/at
on the Net.
Although they claim it's only to track down perverts and illegal porn users/sellers,
I think we've seen such privilege abused far to often to believe this line.
Yes, just as we know that the US administration would never resort to torture
or unfair detention in the war against terror, we know they'd never use such
power to snoop on their political rivals -- don't we?
Meanwhile, on the DSL front, a reader sent me an email containing information
about DSL prices in the UK...
It seems that one company (Be Un Limited)
is offering ADSL2 connections over
the existing copper, thus providing data-rates of up to 24Mbps.
And how much would you expect to pay for such a service with unlimited data-cap?
How about UK 24 pounds a month?
If you don't need an unlimited data cap then the price drops to 12 pounds.
See what happens when *everyone* can use the copper rather than leaving it in
the hands of a company like Telecom?
And speaking of Telecom's broadband (and what week on Aardvark would be complete
without such a mention) -- when are the government going to wise up to the fact
that none of Telecom's affordable DSL plans are suitable for data-exporters?
Sure, if you want to download heaps of data (perhaps representing an importation
of intellectual property that appears as a debit on the balance of payments ledger)
then some of the DSL plans are okay -- but what if you're an exporter?
Pity the poor Kiwi company that wants to actually sell data or IP-based services
on a global market. With the upload speed of all existing and planned UBS and
affordable DSL plans locked at 128Kbps, we're talking dial-up speeds!
Just work out for yourself how long it would take to send just 1 CD worth of
data out of the country on your favourite JetStream plan and wince.
No wonder we're the laughing stock of the OECD.
Lighten Up
Yes, let the frivolity begin!
It seems that Google Video has some rich pickings for light-hearted content
and here's yet another clip to prove the point.
Is it real or staged? I'm picking staged -- those airbags take more of a bang
to set them off and they usually produce a cloud of powder and smoke when they do --
but still rather funny all the same.
Tell us all and see what others have to say in
The Aardvark Forums
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