Category: Streaming and Multi-Media

Fighting for LPFM (Low Power FM) in the Cities

About the Prometheus Radio Project!
What is Prometheus all about:
To serve as a microradio resource center offering legal, technical, and organizational support for the non-commercial community broadcasters
To research and develop technical resources in anticipation of legalized micro-radio. Upon legalization, we will offer technical services to non-commercial micro-stations- equipment testing, frequency searching, submitting FCC applications, studio advice and so on
To sponsor and produce educational tours, conferences, events and literature on microradio and democratic media issues.
To serve as a public interest advocate on microradio issues, and to help facilitate public participation in the FCC rulemaking and legislative process.
To help start a regional micropower association, which could eventually serve as a self-regulating association for low power fm analagous to the ARRL for HAM radio. Until this is formed, we will perform some of its future functions, primarily performing a coordinating and secretarial role to facilitate communications among existing stations.

The powerbooks are taking over

Streaming Media, Inc.
From the release:
The key features of the Streambox ACT-L3 Portable Video Transport System are:
-Real-time compression of 1/2 D1 (352x480i) interlaced video 30 fps on a PowerBook G4 with a 1.25 Ghz CPU or higher. The system supports full D1 resolution at 15 fps and higher.
-The ACT-L3 Codec produces high quality video transmissions at data rates as low as 64 kbps and higher over IP, sat-phones, 802.11 and 3G wireless networks. Optimal full resolution broadcast quality is available with IP satellite systems or land-based DSL lines.
-Live DV Video capture from camera via Firewire input.
-Works seamlessly with existing NLE editing software such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro.™
-Advanced Forward Error Correction technology recovers and cancels packet loss and overcomes jitter and buffering.
-Bandwidth shaping technology controls and prevents video overflow at satellites, routers and network switches for smooth video delivery.

Indie record stores tell us the the RIAA is full of it..

Wired News: Record Stores: We’re Fine, Thanks
Interesting, from the article:
High prices, rather than file sharing, are what usually stop a kid from buying a CD, Wiley said.
Typically, the music industry wants stores to sell CDs for $18 when they should be going for $15, he said. That $3 can make the difference in terms of whether or not a CD is going to sell.

Unless I am completely nuts, Rob Glaser doesn’t have a clue

Real’s Glaser exhorts Apple to open iPod | CNET News.com
From the article:
Because Apple’s iPod music player does not support other proprietary music formats and does not license its own format to rivals, Real’s Rhapsody and other song sites are blocked from easily reaching iPod users.
“Apple’s (market) share will go down if they continue to do this. The only way to presently put songs on an iPod is to (buy) them from iTunes,” Glaser said, referring to downloads purchased from online music stores. In addition to iTunes songs, the iPod can play files encoded in the MP3 format, including tracks ripped from CDs.

Hey Rob, the iPod supports MP3, duh!!! If you would open up, then you would be fine, but no, Real/Rhapsody does do MP3, does it..!? Wait, Rhapsody does support Mac users either, hows that for open.. He he he, Glaser is full of it..

Dyne:bolic gets an update

d y n e . o r g :: dynebolic mailinglist
The description:
Dyne:bolic is shaped on the needs of media activists and artists to stimulate the production and not only the fruition of digital and analog informations. It takes birth as a grassroot effort to spread free software and the spirit of sharing information and knowledge.

This version supports hard drive booting and much much more..

IIDC (IEEE 1394 or FireWire based Digital Cameras) for Linux

Coriander Home Page
From the site:
Coriander is a Linux graphical user interface (GUI) that let you control a Digital Camera through the IEEE1394 bus (aka FireWire, or iLink). By Digital Camera, I mean here a camera that complies with the IIDC v1.04 (or later) Digital Camera Specifications, published by the 1394 Trade Association.
A related project is: http://www.linux1394.org/