Some of you have noticed, OSWD.org is back online. However, it is now in complete control of Frank, and has lost the open source spirit, as well as most of the designs and users!Please see the comments for a more detailed explanation.
Well, I haven’t blogged anything for a LONG time.. so.. here we go.
I’ve been playing around with subscription music services lately, and while a few months ago, I was extreemly against them - I liked purchasing my music - I thought I’d try it out and see how it went. I’m actually starting to like it 
I’ve downloaded (with a free trial, which I plan on keeping. I think.) tons of songs from Yahoo Music Unlimited (and previously Napster). At 192Kbps, the quality is very decent, even if it is in WMA format.
Now, the main thing I don’t like about it.. is its use of Microsoft’s Janus DRM, which makes it impossible to sync to most MP3 players out there, and impossible to play in Linux or with software like iTunes. There are ways around this though, with the easiest being using assistant programs, like Tunebite, to play the file in WMP, and record it, and save it back as an unprotected MP3, WMA, or OGG. (Tunebite supports recording at 4X, so its a lot faster than real-time encoding.) The downside is, you will get some slight quality loss, and you wont be able to use your computer while Tunebite is recording. If you do, you’ll likely get skips in the audio.
Anyhow, its just been really fun exploring a bunch of artists that I’ve wanted to check out, but don’t care to spend 99 cents a song on, or buy CDs of.
(Also, I’m posting this with Flock.. seems interesting so far.. but I think I’ll stick to Firefox. Flock has some cool features and all, but its too overly complicated. I like Firefox’s simplicity.)
Josh
Apple has finally realeased the new iPod video! Actually, its replaced the previous iPod. The screen is bigger, its smaller, thinner, holds 30GB for the $299 model and oh so sexy 
Plus it plays video! All for the same $299 price. (Link is too a coral mirror of the site, as just about every site covering it is down)
read more | digg story | and of course, you can always get a FREE iPod video from here.
Josh
This actually isn’t a bad idea. They setup their little Google meta search engine (the results are from Google, but they get paid for clicks on the sponsored links, so they can afford to send out prizes.), and give out prizes at random times to random people who were searching.
The prizes are anything from a $10 iTunes gift certificate, to a iPod, or playstation portable.. so the potential is great
The only catch is that only the first 10 searches you make per day will be applicible to win prizes. But its super easy to win, just use Blingo like you would Google. It even looks a lot like it
They also have a ‘blingo friends’ program. If I get you to signup under me, and you win something, I’d win it too. So thats even cooler
Anyway, if you’d like to check it out, go here. (yes, its my blingo friends ref link. But you’re not losing anything because of it :P)
And while I’m posting, I might as well say that I turned 14 on the third Have been to busy to post about it though. So, late happy birthday to me.
Josh
Via BoingBoing -
“IFPI — the international equivalent of the RIAA — has released a piece of software that will delete your P2P software, strongly implying that P2P is itself illegal…”
They’ve really gone too far this time. Currently I don’t use P2P, but I have in the past, and this is just wrong. I’ve used P2P to download perfectly legal linux ISO’s when the servers where swamped, etc.
I really hope that this software doesn’t get propigated on all the P2P networks falsely labled like all the other worms/etc going around. I should write a worm that would go around and screw up everybodys CD drive so they can’t rip/play/use CDs… because the CD drive might be used for something illegal.
RIAA/The rest of the world’s recording industry must be done away with. Their DRM protected CDs are a joke, you can’t even rip the music YOU PURCHASED to YOUR computer for PERSONAL use! This encourages piracy for me… I will not buy a CD that limits me from adding the music to my MP3 player, or copying the CD for backup purposes. If anything I’d download the songs from some P2P program and then just give $10 directly the the band.
I really like the opensource/public domain/independant from record lables music movement, its really awesome to see artists letting people enjoy their music without the big record lables making a killing of someone elses work.
With Switchfoot’s latest album, Nothnig Is Sound, Sony had crippled the CD with their DRM softwar without the bands consent, or even mentioning it to them. After Switchfoot found out about it, they immediatly posted a workaround on their website. (Go switchfoot!)
Ok, rant done.
Josh
Head on over to the wordpress page to download my first (released) theme. (I know, its not 100% original.. the design is based of Happy_blog on oswd.org.)
What are you waiting for?
Josh
I’ve always somehwhat liked Switchfoot, but something about their sound sounded a bit too chaotic and unruly for me. The guitar would often (for my taste) clash with the singing, and it just didn’t sound good. But.. I heard about their latest album, and thought I might as well get and.. and overall I’m pretty happy with it.
Music: Very good. Some of it is a bit simple, but it still sounds very good. The drums are nice and not overused, guitar actuallys compliments the vocals, and they have a nice variety of rythems from song to son.
Vocals: Overall, good. He has a very nice voice, and it really really shines on some of the softer songs like The Shadow Proves the Sunshine, and The Blues.
Lyrics: Good. They’re very singable, memorable, and not cliche-ish like some of todays bands
Overall: I’ll give this a 4 out of 5. Some of the “yeah ahhhhh ahhh” just gets annoying after a while. I like songs with 100% actual words, and not a bunch of vocalizing. Thats just me though. So all in all, I’d recomend it.
Now.. Tobymac’s new Renovating Diverse City on the other hand.. man, I’m really dissapointed. All it is is a bunch of (quite weird, one is like semi-70s club style ) remixes of Diverse City.
Josh
Ok, lets face it.. I’m a wannabee Mac addict. I love everything about macs (well, not the price).. and so I love keeping up on the mac culture. One of the better sites for this, is TUAW.com.. the unofficial mac weblog.
So, they’re running a contest, giving away a free iPod Nano, so thats reason enough to post a bunch of links to their site
Top-10 Favorite Articles from the Unofficial Apple Weblog:
1. The iPod Nano Giveaway! How could you not like this, its free!
3. Another cool post, hey, I didn’t win.. but oh well.
4. Its pretty bad, when you dance in an iPod commerical.. and can’t afford an iPod
5. Apparently, G.W.B’s radio address is explicit! Or so says iTunes.
6. Protect your iPod from y10K! Since we all know we’re going to be around in 10,000.
9. Now, if only they’d port this to Konfabulator for us stupid PC users
10. Gizmo, Skype but cooler. I’ve fallen in love.. well, sorta. Very cool none the less.
Well, thats it for my top-10 favorite tuaw blog entries. All thats left to say is “please pick me!”
Josh
This just came out yesterday, and its very cool..
Finally.. a flash-based iPod, with a screen! Apple’s making both 2 and 4GB models, both of which are the same size, and feature a 1.5 inch color display. Its about the same thickness as a number 2 pencil! I think if they made it any thinner, there wouldn’t be any room for the headphone jack on the sides.
And of course, along comes a new iPod, and so along comes a new Gratis Free Ipod Nano site.
Josh
Armstrong-like reminder bands, green and purple for New Orleans. $1 or $2 donation, all money goes to Katrina Relief. Reminder-band is coordinating an effort to promote unity and support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
I’ve ordered one, and encouarge you to do the same.
http://reminderbandaid.org/
Josh