Former startup Apple is valiantly sticking up for the entertainment industry with a new patent designed to thwart obnoxious iPhone recordings . Have to say, we can't think of anything that could go wrong with this technology in the hands of the wrong people. Nothing at all.
I cannot tell you how often I selfishly wished I had a cell blocker -- especially when I'm on the bus or in the train. Who are these people talking to at 6:45am, FFS. Cell phones: best invention and worst invention.
By "burnt" I mean slain in the roaster. I love espresso, which is not burned, and as for regular coffee, a nice medium roast so strong the spoon stands up in it, hot, and black as the ace of spades.
Overpriced yes. Apple Tax still exists, although not as badly as it used to be.Overrated and underpowered? Not so much. Apple's SoCs are the best in the business given its job at hand, iOS is relentlessly optimized for Apple's hardware, and MacOS/OSX has some pretty impressive mobile device integration tricks up its sleeve (text and voice messages and calendar appointments automagically sent to desktop? Ability to answer phone calls/Facetime on either phone or desktop?), plus the general vibe of 'it just works' and general quality feel the moment one picks one up.
Now if someone can untangle the abomination that is iTunes, that would be aawwwwesome!
(full disclosure: Apple on mobile, Windows on desktop is how I roll)
Apple is the only smartphone manufacturer on the fucking planet. Not sure about that? Just ask them
I'm not sure who you're talking about. I doubt Apple thinks they're the only one. I'm sure the author Matt doesn't. I certainly don't. I own a Samsung Galaxy.
Employees drinking own Kool-Aid - cleanup in Aisle 2
Holy non sequitur, Batman. I have no idea what you're talking about, or even who you're talking about.
if, as an artist, you look at recordings as IP theft as opposed to free advertising, your material and/or your act sucks. Go make coffee.
Ummm OK... I'll be sure to tell unsuccessful artists like Alicia Keys, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Guns N Roses and Chris Rock how they're doing it all wrong and that they suck. Because these acts have all opted for the new cell pouch technology to cut down on smartphone abuse- including illegal recording. I'll be sure to tell nobodies like Adele and the star of Hamilton that they need to quit ranting about the offensive selfies and show recordings and should instead listen to some anonymous clown on the internet for career advice. Because Lord knows, none of them will ever be successful without some fool telling them to give away their IP. Newsflash: That IP is theirs to do with what they will, contrary to the entitled whining of some millennial snowflake that thinks that everything that can be digitized should be theirs for the taking. I listed several rather important reasons why an artist would want to control their art- unreleased material, the chance to stretch out and take chances without it going viral, etc. If an up and coming artist decides they benefit from the exposure from those viral videos- good for them! Hell, the Grateful Dead allowed audio taping of their shows for over a half a century. But even they had to lay down rules when things got out of hand, including no video taping. Artists can do what they like. But it's their choice, not yours. They have the right to approve it, the right to the quality control of official live releases if they so choose, or they can say anything goes- that's their call. But in instance after instance, some rude concert goers have chosen to ignore the explicit requests of the artist not to record, because those snowflakes don't think they have to listen to anyone. If these selfish asshats don't learn to police their own behavior, then artists and venue owners will turn to technology to police them. And we all suffer from ham fisted fixes like this Apple patent.
This patent is the stupidest thing I have seen a major company do in a long while. The only way that it is physically possible for apple to sell anything like this to anyone is to assume (or, at least, make potential customers believe) that it will put every other smartphone maker out of business in the near strategic term. A system that only affects _some_ smartphones is of no use to anybody. On the other hand, if they attempt to sell this in an open market (where they don't have a monopoly, or anything close) they will be doing irreparable damage to their consumer sales because nobody will buy a smartphone whose camera can be disabled remotely. The only thing close to this level of stupidity I have recently seen is m$ dumbass AI experiment with Twitter.
Re artists; notice I did not say it was not rude/distracting. If that's your objection, sure, do whatever you want (although, if I can put up with my asshole boss playing Howard Stern the entire workday, etc. - I am the furthest thing from an artist, so whatever). Nor did I say that I wanted to enforce my will on any artists - their show, their rules, etc. But, the argument that shaky handheld video recordings constitute IP theft and people will watch them rather than going to see shows is, let's be generous, unsupported by a large body of evidence.
If you think Apple is being stupid, you have no idea what they're actually doing. By buying the patent, they covering the possibility that these sort of blocking tools might become mandatory in the future in order to be allowed to bring your phone in the venue. Of course they're not going to unilaterally start producing phones with it unless they have some sort of guarantee that it won't hurt marketshare. But they probably picked up that patent for peanuts and can now sit on it. And you haven't been paying attention to the state of video recording lately if you think that a shaky HH recording is the best available. I've seen concert footage on Facebook Live that looks and sounds pretty damn good. But that's besides the point, crappy or great it's still IP theft and even crappy recordings go viral if there's something interesting enough being recorded, e.g. the new unreleased single from a superstar. Or it could be some sort of embarrassing moment from the artist- forgotten lyrics, a little too drunk/high, an embarrassing fall, a bad rendition of a song, etc. It doesn't matter what the quality is- those go viral. And let'sbe honest, while there's no way to prove a negative (like not attending a show after seeing a lousy video), what artist wants to take the chance that someone's first exposure to them is some crappy, unflattered Vine or Youtube video? An artist should have the ability to control for those moments too. Again, the real issue here isn't Apple- if not them, someone else will invent the technology to prohibit smartphone abuse at shows. WHatever that technology is, you can bet that it will be clunky and inconvenient ripe for abuse. The obvious solution is to get it through people's heads that this sort of tech is inevitable if people can't figure out on their own how to behave at shows.
No offense, but I'm curious - have you actually written any code? I got through about half an android project (before deciding it wasn't for me) and am currently studying electrical engineering. This notion of a tech capable of blocking all cellphone cameras, or major manufacturers agreeing to such, seems a little unlikely to put it mildly. Even if it comes to pass, there are plenty of tiny dumb cameras currently available. If you really want to enforce such a policy you will need to strip search people.
Again, I don't really disagree with you about artists right to control public image (although, if I _were_ an artist I would assume every performance was filmed and prepare accordingly - because, lets face it, I will never make a living off album sales these days). Calling a public performance intellectual property, however, opens up a huuuuge can of worms. I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go merrily down that particular garden path.
Heavy on the crap part, bat shit insane on the price part. I can imagine overpaying for headphones that suck if you like Dr. Dre that much, but if someone wants 200 dollars for them they should at least have his authenticated autograph or been rubbed on his balls or something.
I had to stop using custom ringtones because I listened to some seriously offensive Hiphop. You always think a ringtone is cool until you're surrounded by old ladies at a gas station and the ringtone suddenly reminds you that it looks weird when a guys pocket is screaming epithets.
A thousand times yes!! Concertgoers should be aware that (1) it's now nearly impossible for an artist to make a living selling recordings; most of their income is from live shows, and (2) there are other people in the audience, all of whom paid to be there (unless it's a free show, in which case they probably camped out for hours to get inside).
Speaking of live shows and camping out, last summer I and a friend who was visiting from Mumbai went to Prospect Park in Brooklyn to see St. Vincent (the only new artist I think is worth that name). We didn't go early, so all the seats were filled. There were thousands of people outside the fence, including us. Most of them were 20-somethings who were only there because both the Village Voice and Time Out NY told them it was THE place to be. Rather than listening to the music, they talked incessantly (either to each other or on their phones) until the end of the song they hadn't listened to, then CHEERED. At the end of four or five songs' worth of this blatant disrespect, we left. I listened to a recording of the show (a radio station was recording it, and it was in their archives). The show was bloody BRILLIANT, and I'm still pissed I didn't get to enjoy it because of bad behavior.
Are you going to a live show? TURN OFF THAT GODDAMNED PHONE.
I will bet that's even more awkward. Although when my anecdote occurred, the ring tone was from Ante Up by MOP. At the end, for no logical reason, Billy Danz screams the N bomb like it's what you are supposed to do. A bit uncomfortable.
I cannot tell you how often I selfishly wished I had a cell blocker -- especially when I'm on the bus or in the train. Who are these people talking to at 6:45am, FFS. Cell phones: best invention and worst invention.
By "burnt" I mean slain in the roaster. I love espresso, which is not burned, and as for regular coffee, a nice medium roast so strong the spoon stands up in it, hot, and black as the ace of spades.
Overpriced yes. Apple Tax still exists, although not as badly as it used to be.Overrated and underpowered? Not so much. Apple's SoCs are the best in the business given its job at hand, iOS is relentlessly optimized for Apple's hardware, and MacOS/OSX has some pretty impressive mobile device integration tricks up its sleeve (text and voice messages and calendar appointments automagically sent to desktop? Ability to answer phone calls/Facetime on either phone or desktop?), plus the general vibe of 'it just works' and general quality feel the moment one picks one up.
Now if someone can untangle the abomination that is iTunes, that would be aawwwwesome!
(full disclosure: Apple on mobile, Windows on desktop is how I roll)
lolwut?
Apple is the only smartphone manufacturer on the fucking planet. Not sure about that? Just ask them
I'm not sure who you're talking about. I doubt Apple thinks they're the only one. I'm sure the author Matt doesn't. I certainly don't. I own a Samsung Galaxy.
Employees drinking own Kool-Aid - cleanup in Aisle 2
Holy non sequitur, Batman. I have no idea what you're talking about, or even who you're talking about.
if, as an artist, you look at recordings as IP theft as opposed to free advertising, your material and/or your act sucks. Go make coffee.
Ummm OK... I'll be sure to tell unsuccessful artists like Alicia Keys, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Guns N Roses and Chris Rock how they're doing it all wrong and that they suck. Because these acts have all opted for the new cell pouch technology to cut down on smartphone abuse- including illegal recording. I'll be sure to tell nobodies like Adele and the star of Hamilton that they need to quit ranting about the offensive selfies and show recordings and should instead listen to some anonymous clown on the internet for career advice. Because Lord knows, none of them will ever be successful without some fool telling them to give away their IP. Newsflash: That IP is theirs to do with what they will, contrary to the entitled whining of some millennial snowflake that thinks that everything that can be digitized should be theirs for the taking. I listed several rather important reasons why an artist would want to control their art- unreleased material, the chance to stretch out and take chances without it going viral, etc. If an up and coming artist decides they benefit from the exposure from those viral videos- good for them! Hell, the Grateful Dead allowed audio taping of their shows for over a half a century. But even they had to lay down rules when things got out of hand, including no video taping. Artists can do what they like. But it's their choice, not yours. They have the right to approve it, the right to the quality control of official live releases if they so choose, or they can say anything goes- that's their call. But in instance after instance, some rude concert goers have chosen to ignore the explicit requests of the artist not to record, because those snowflakes don't think they have to listen to anyone. If these selfish asshats don't learn to police their own behavior, then artists and venue owners will turn to technology to police them. And we all suffer from ham fisted fixes like this Apple patent.
"Banning things simply because we disapprove of other people’s choices is not a mark of a free society."
He's got a point. I was going to be all critical of Brock Turner's choices then I realized I was not being supportive of a free society.
This patent is the stupidest thing I have seen a major company do in a long while. The only way that it is physically possible for apple to sell anything like this to anyone is to assume (or, at least, make potential customers believe) that it will put every other smartphone maker out of business in the near strategic term. A system that only affects _some_ smartphones is of no use to anybody. On the other hand, if they attempt to sell this in an open market (where they don't have a monopoly, or anything close) they will be doing irreparable damage to their consumer sales because nobody will buy a smartphone whose camera can be disabled remotely. The only thing close to this level of stupidity I have recently seen is m$ dumbass AI experiment with Twitter.
Re artists; notice I did not say it was not rude/distracting. If that's your objection, sure, do whatever you want (although, if I can put up with my asshole boss playing Howard Stern the entire workday, etc. - I am the furthest thing from an artist, so whatever). Nor did I say that I wanted to enforce my will on any artists - their show, their rules, etc. But, the argument that shaky handheld video recordings constitute IP theft and people will watch them rather than going to see shows is, let's be generous, unsupported by a large body of evidence.
If you think Apple is being stupid, you have no idea what they're actually doing. By buying the patent, they covering the possibility that these sort of blocking tools might become mandatory in the future in order to be allowed to bring your phone in the venue. Of course they're not going to unilaterally start producing phones with it unless they have some sort of guarantee that it won't hurt marketshare. But they probably picked up that patent for peanuts and can now sit on it. And you haven't been paying attention to the state of video recording lately if you think that a shaky HH recording is the best available. I've seen concert footage on Facebook Live that looks and sounds pretty damn good. But that's besides the point, crappy or great it's still IP theft and even crappy recordings go viral if there's something interesting enough being recorded, e.g. the new unreleased single from a superstar. Or it could be some sort of embarrassing moment from the artist- forgotten lyrics, a little too drunk/high, an embarrassing fall, a bad rendition of a song, etc. It doesn't matter what the quality is- those go viral. And let'sbe honest, while there's no way to prove a negative (like not attending a show after seeing a lousy video), what artist wants to take the chance that someone's first exposure to them is some crappy, unflattered Vine or Youtube video? An artist should have the ability to control for those moments too. Again, the real issue here isn't Apple- if not them, someone else will invent the technology to prohibit smartphone abuse at shows. WHatever that technology is, you can bet that it will be clunky and inconvenient ripe for abuse. The obvious solution is to get it through people's heads that this sort of tech is inevitable if people can't figure out on their own how to behave at shows.
No offense, but I'm curious - have you actually written any code? I got through about half an android project (before deciding it wasn't for me) and am currently studying electrical engineering. This notion of a tech capable of blocking all cellphone cameras, or major manufacturers agreeing to such, seems a little unlikely to put it mildly. Even if it comes to pass, there are plenty of tiny dumb cameras currently available. If you really want to enforce such a policy you will need to strip search people.
Again, I don't really disagree with you about artists right to control public image (although, if I _were_ an artist I would assume every performance was filmed and prepare accordingly - because, lets face it, I will never make a living off album sales these days). Calling a public performance intellectual property, however, opens up a huuuuge can of worms. I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go merrily down that particular garden path.
Heavy on the crap part, bat shit insane on the price part. I can imagine overpaying for headphones that suck if you like Dr. Dre that much, but if someone wants 200 dollars for them they should at least have his authenticated autograph or been rubbed on his balls or something.
I had to stop using custom ringtones because I listened to some seriously offensive Hiphop. You always think a ringtone is cool until you're surrounded by old ladies at a gas station and the ringtone suddenly reminds you that it looks weird when a guys pocket is screaming epithets.
Wow! Musicians griping to a poet about not making money. That's like complaining about foot pain to a quadruple amputee.
A thousand times yes!! Concertgoers should be aware that (1) it's now nearly impossible for an artist to make a living selling recordings; most of their income is from live shows, and (2) there are other people in the audience, all of whom paid to be there (unless it's a free show, in which case they probably camped out for hours to get inside).
Speaking of live shows and camping out, last summer I and a friend who was visiting from Mumbai went to Prospect Park in Brooklyn to see St. Vincent (the only new artist I think is worth that name). We didn't go early, so all the seats were filled. There were thousands of people outside the fence, including us. Most of them were 20-somethings who were only there because both the Village Voice and Time Out NY told them it was THE place to be. Rather than listening to the music, they talked incessantly (either to each other or on their phones) until the end of the song they hadn't listened to, then CHEERED. At the end of four or five songs' worth of this blatant disrespect, we left. I listened to a recording of the show (a radio station was recording it, and it was in their archives). The show was bloody BRILLIANT, and I'm still pissed I didn't get to enjoy it because of bad behavior.
Are you going to a live show? TURN OFF THAT GODDAMNED PHONE.
That's why I don't use them. I really don't want to explain that cute ringtone to a client when my phone rings in front of them.
I will bet that's even more awkward. Although when my anecdote occurred, the ring tone was from Ante Up by MOP. At the end, for no logical reason, Billy Danz screams the N bomb like it's what you are supposed to do. A bit uncomfortable.
As Jenny said at the top of the thread, I don't see it being long before Android and Windows phones have the same "feature."
I know!