Software utilities

Now that’s something I never knew.

Apparently, if you walk through a US airport with your laptop or memory stick, it can be seized by customs (and, check it, they don’t have to give you a reason either).

That’s just great.

Can you imagine – you’re a writer or a programmer. You’re on your way to New York for a conference or maybe you’ve snagged a great 3 month contract with a firm over there. All your work is on your Mac Book and a backed-up copy’s sitting all nice and snug on your memory stick.

And customs can take them off you? Without an explanation? For any length of time they frikkin want? That’s amazing. Intrusive. Annoying. Inconvenient.

It’s apparently a procedure that’s been in place for years but only became public knowledge when a group of lobbyists demanded that the Department of Homeland Security’s policies be revealed.

I can partly understand why customs would do this. The world is a much more dangerous place these days. However, to not give an explanation is ludicrous. I’ve been to the US a few times and I’ve met some great custom folks, but I’ve also met some who were complete and utter assholes. Who’s to say they won’t abuse their power and seize your laptop just for the fun of it, ‘cos they’re having a bad day? And if that ever happens, there’s so much red tape that it’d probably take centuries to get through the complaints procedure.

So, if you’re ever travelling to the US, do bear the above in mind. As an extra caution, you might wanna back up all your important stuff online.

If it’s any comfort though, I haven’t heard a case of anyone who’s had their laptop or iPod seized. It doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, though.

Six big UK-based Internet companies have joined part of an ensuing campaign to tackle the amount of music being downloaded illegally, particularly file sharers.

UK law tackling the issue has been in place for years, but it’s only recently that a new momentum has kicked in.

The Big Six (as I shall call them) will send out letters to any illegal downloaders warning them to stop. The next step, if there’s no cessation, will include measures such as slowing down of the user’s bandwidth or stopping them from downloading altogether.

People have already been taken to court in the past. In 2005, 23 people were taken to court and ordered to pay £50,000 in compensation for illegally sharing 9000 tracks online.

I was watching the news a couple of days ago (about what these ISPs are planning to do). A young man was being interviewed. He was asked how he felt about the new campaign and he said he didn’t see how what he downloads affects record companies in any way as they make so much money anyway.

First of all, I thought:  you dumb fool, you’re admitting to illegal downloads ON TV? Good move. Really good.

Second: The late media magnate, Robert Maxwell, was found to have embezzled millions from his employees’ pensions. He managed to get away with it for as long as he did ‘cos he shaved a very small unnoticeable amount from each account. Add those little bits up and you’re talking £450 million.

Third: My grandmother used to say, ‘little drops of water make an ocean’.

I’m in no way jumping to the defence of record companies (‘cos they need to take a serious look in the mirror too), but if all those illegal downloads are eating into their profits, they’re not the ones that’ll suffer – it’s the artist.

We’ll see how this recent ‘toughening up’ affects the music-download landscape in the UK. It will, no doubt, encourage the development of new technologies – some by those looking to enforce the rule – others by those looking to buck the system.

Apple iPod have a lock that prevents legal transfer of MP3’s to your iPod if you don’t have iTunes installed. Since there is no iTunes for Linux, you cannot use your regurarly purchased multimedia gadget if you choose Linux. But there are around a few guys (see here or here) that breached Apple’s lock, letting you use alternative tools, such as gtkpod, to transfer MP3 to your iPod. Very interesting is a porting of Linux to iPod, available at http://ipodlinux.org.

An UK based company, Goldstriker, offers 24ct gold plated phones and iPods. Also, they also sell the housing, or if yours is in good conditions, they offer the possibility to transform your own!

Here an extract from their homepage:

Mobile phones are without a doubt a ‘‘must have’’ accessory, with ipods becoming a close second. Although you may always endeavour to have the best mobile or ipod on the market, you never achieve any uniqueness or originality as they are so widely available to everyone. Goldstriker international are now giving you the opportunity to express your individuality, and stand out from the crowd.

We have the widest range of 24ct gold plated phones and accessories on the market today, however if you can’t find what you are looking for, just contact us and we will be happy to assist with your enquiry.

If you already have one of these phones/ipods and don’t wish to purchase another, simply order just the housing and transform your existing one. You can even send us your own housing to gold plate providing it is in good condition.

Please browse our online store and enjoy the examples of our stunning work.

Apple iPod have a lock that prevents iPod owners to upload music which is not downloaded from iTunes, the official Apple music store, which sells MP3’s DRM-locked, Now a few guys managed to remove these limitations, so now people who legally downloaded music from other online music stores, such as Amazon or the new coming Nokia store, can download their favourite music to their iPod. It must be noted that these locks have nothing to do with piracy prevention: this is only for protecting the iTunes store from competitors (legal ones). Also, with this hack also Linux users can use their iPod without limitations.