Ok, so maybe it’s not THAT exciting. But according to a post on Howard Forums, the esteemed cell phone scuttlebutt site, Rogers will offer a $30 unlimited data plan ($45 for enterprise users) on the iPhone when it hits Canada on July 11th. Frankly, that sounds too good to be true, but I’d be more than happy to pay that fee (and not a cent more) for always-on, unlimited high speed data access from my phone. You hear me, Rogers?
Well, thanks, Gene Simmons, now we have a terrible TV show AND your idiocy and ignorance regarding the digital age with which to mock you. Apparently, according to Gene, the music industry is dead and it’s all the fault of the fans. It couldn’t possibly be that the old model Kiss rode to fame and fortune on isn’t valid anymore, or that maybe nobody wants music from a bunch of aging rock-dorks. No sir, couldn’t be that at all.
For once, the Three Who Rule were in total agreement that “Midnight,” the psychological thriller/Donna-lite episode of this season’s Doctor Who, was a fine bit of viewing. That left us with little else to do besides mock Who overseer Phil Collinson and engage in many a ridiculous digression, as per usual. Next week, Rose, dead Doctors, and atomic weaponry. Allons-y!
This one’s more ranting about the proposed Canadian DMCA. Also, on a technical note, it looks like video hosting sites don’t ike something about the end credits, so I guess I’ll have to tweak that for further episodes.
The Canadian DMCA has just been tabled by the House of Commons, and from what I can tell (gleaned from Michael Geist’s excellent blog post) it’s a complete and total ruinous mess for the future of electronic media in Canada. Let’s, just for a second, get past the spectre of evil pirates stealing content from hard-working, impoverished studios and record companies. This bill makes it illegal for anyone to transfer music they bought off a CD and onto their own iPod. It also makes it illegal to unlock an iPhone or other locked digital devices, to the tune of a $20,000 fine. So the fact that I’ve been carting around said iPhone for the last six months is apparently more important than the fact that our representatives in Parliament consort with gangster molls or that the Alberta tar sands are an ecological disaster area. No, people downloading the latest Coldplay album is what our law enforcement services should concern themselves with.
The real irony here is that the studios are the authors of their own destruction. If these laws are actually enforceable, all that will happen is that people won’t bother to watch copyrighted material anymore. The means of production are cheaper than ever, and more and more people are watching amateur video, citizen journalism and other user generated content. The drive for self-preservation will actually accelerate the decline and fall of big media, by its own hand.
And the potential damage from this bill doesn’t just affect individuals. Companies in the business of moving and storing content, like Domain7, have already expressed concerns (check their news section for their take on the bill).
I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a daily video post/podcast with a short, opinionated blurb from me about some matter of import. Here’s the first test run of said idea, where I yander on about the iPhone. Constructive criticism welcomed.
Part of my day job at Greedy Productions was working on this top secret documentary about the making of the Metal Gear saga, including Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which comes out this week. Everybody at Greedy knocked their asses off to make this, so if you have any desire at all to own MGS4, spring for the collector’s edition and make me happy. 🙂