_They’ve gone out of their way to make it as x-platform as possible-even a Linux version on the way.
_Automatically adds downloaded tracks to a user’s iTunes or Windows Media Player library
_No re-downloading.
_The user interface needs some(much) work. While your at it, do the whole Amazon site. K, thx.
_Need to use the download client to download whole albums.
_Imagine mashing some LastFM data or some such for recommendations and filtering. I can see lots of cool stuff on the horizon utilizing Amazon’s web services. How about a customizable/embed/sharable Flash UI/widget to the store for bands/labels? Or how about something like that for Amazon Affiliates? A widget like this could also possibly power a “mobile/wireless” store.
_The big question: WILL THIS WORK ON AN IPHONE?
no.
The site let me go through the entire purchasing process (including payment) w/o warning or re-directing me about using an iPhone. (I did get a popup on the Amazon home page with a link to the “beta” Amazon iPhone site.)
Most people assume that record labels hate filesharing, but it seems that some companies actually use it as a research tool. We found out that Interscope records, and probably other record companies as well, use P2P data to determine which tracks they will release as their next single.
Snips+notes on Adobe’s implementation of H.264 video in Flash—
* This is a pretty big step in the direction of interoperability of digital video platforms—Web Video/Settops/IPTV/Digital TV/mobile “hardware acceleration” for Web video will be a boon to the adoption of HD-ish quality video via the Innertubes.
* Metadata: Get those Video search/discovery startups ready:support for ‘covr’ (and other) metadata from iTunes
* ability to decode Base, Mainline and High profiles
You can load and play .mp4,.m4v,.m4a,.mov and .3gp files using the same NetStream API you use to load FLV files now. We did not add any sort of new API in the Flash Player. All your existing video playback front ends will work as they are.
We’re announcing a new update to the Flash Player today code named “Moviestar” and it includes support for the widely used industry standard H.264 codec as well as High Efficiency AAC audio support. The update will also be a part of Adobe AIR.
Undoubtedly a move in preparation for adding DRM for Flash Video, as well as supporting more manageable playback of HD content.
In NewTeeVee’s rundown of various P2P distribution options for independent producers, Janko Roettgers notes the interesting possibility of hosting torrents via Amazon’s S3 storage webservice.
Sony’s proprietary-format music store fails miserably.
The Sony Connect experiment is about to get, well, disconnected: it will be winding down its music and video services in the next couple of months, and focus on servicing the Playstation group on the technical needs…
Scott Kirsner of CinemaTech has posted his slides from his presentation at the San Francisco Apple store. The “meat” of the presentation begins around slide10.
Unhappy with the quality/quantity of the extras for The Fountain DVD, Darren Aronofsky has decided to release a downloadable commentary track in the near future. From Cinematical and Aronofsky’s Myspace blog:
“As many of you can tell it [the DVD] is light on extras as compared to my previous DVD releases. Everything at the studio was a struggle. For instance, they didn’t want to do a commentary track cause they felt it wouldn’t help sales. I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore. Whatever.”
Seems to be the nucleus of an excellent social-networking idea here—fans, critics and directors/artists themselves upload “extras” for download via a site based on the film. The “extras” could be in a freely-exchangeable/interchangeable (XML?) format, mashable via other applications/sites.
FREE IDEA How about producing an online application (or even disc-based, given the capabilities of Blu-Ray/HD DVD) that would 1. Load the movie 2. allow the viewer to select/load alt. commentary tracks (or other extras) from the aforementioned web site. Netflix has taken some steps in that direction, and alt. commentary tracks have been done before, but nobody has embraced a truly interactive, user/fan friendly model.
Related: Check out Flak Magazine’s downloadable commentary for David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.
Notable:
_YouTube on your Apple TV—software update coming soon.
_3rd-Party iPhone apps probably in the future.
we’ll find a way to let 3rd parties write apps and still preserve security on the iPhone. But until we find that way we can’t compromise the security of the phone.
I’ve used 3rd party apps… the more you add, the more your phone crashes. No one’s perfect, and we’d sure like our phone not to crash once a day. If you can just be a little more patient with us I think everyone can get what they want.
Oops. Better double-check those documents for hidden data. Via Mashable.
The presentation, entitled “Joost-network.pdf” can be found via a Google search, del.icio.us bookmarks and elsewhere - in other words, it’s readily available. Although on the surface it’s about Joost’s Network Architecture, hidden data in the document contains detailed info on a large number of partnership deals with major networks that Joost has either closed or is trying to close. The data appears to be from March 2007, but many of those deals haven’t happened and/or haven’t been publicly announced yet.
Caachi is a new indie film/video distribution site utilizing the Democracy player, with FREE downloads.
about caachi:
Caachi allows filmmakers to distribute their films to a world audience for free. Filmmakers can show their films without having to go through the established studio distribution system and Caachi users around the world can watch those films on their computers, TVs and portable video players.
Filmmakers know that their films will be among other quality films because Caachi curates what’s shown here. Users can quickly download DVD-resolution videos from talented artists from around the world.
