A dystopian future - looking beyond Windows Vista
by Sander MarechalIf the thought of Microsoft Vista's DRM restrictions, restrictive EULA, version confusion and user lock-in has you scared then you definitely do not want to know what the lads from Redmond have in store for the next version. If this patent application, covered by Groklaw here, is anything to go by then the next version of Windows, Vista+1 is really going to give you nightmares.
In simple terms it's a modular OS, much like Linux, whereby every package will have to be bought separately, has been heavily DRM'ed and will be licensed under different licensing terms. And I'm not talking about applications here but about things that people see as core OS functionality, such as basic networking, internet access, running multiple instances of one application, using an USB device (licensed on a per-device basis), etcetera. You'll even have to pay separately just to be able to install third-party applications or to use the new RAM you bought.
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Tags: microsoft vista drm trusted+computing longhorn
Python-gstreamer, threading and the main loop
by Sander MarechalThis is just a quick heads-up for people who try to use python-gstreamer in a thread. Threading in Python has a few unexpected problems if you're new to it and it took me quite a few hours on Google searching for some scraps of documentation (and even diving into the source) before I got it right.
As it turns out, Python doesn't use Operating System threads but implements it's own threading because of portability, but that threading only works within python. When a thread calls a function that's written in C—such as gobject.run()—then Python freezes all threads until that function returns (unless that C function is wrapped in Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS/Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS statements). This is called Global Interpreter Lock or GIL and is very annoying when using gstreamer because gstreamer relies on some sort of external mainloop to function.
A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection - updated
In mid-January 2007, Microsoft responded to some of the points in this writeup. Some of the material was new and interesting (for example clarifying just what actually gets revoked when a driver revocation occurs), other parts seem more likely to have come from Waggener Edstrom (Microsoft's PR firm) than Program Manager Dave Marsh.
From: Peter Gutmann.
IT standards hijack threatens European economic competitiveness
Two organisations, OpenForum Europe (OFE), a leading organisation set up to advance the use of open standards, and ODF Alliance, a campaigning group promoting open document format, representing over 210 organisations in 30 countries, highlight that the new standard, Microsoft licensed Office Open XML, is being fast tracked to become a new European ISO/IEC standard. This new standard has been submitted by ECMA, the European Computer Manufacturers Association with a completely unrealistic deadline for stakeholders to engage.
One of the OFE’s and ODF Alliance’s main criticisms targeted at ECMA’s standard is its complexity. It is over 6,000 pages long, excluding supporting material, making it time consuming and ultimately more expensive for the future development of software. It also duplicates an existing comprehensive and recently ratified) standard Open Document Format (ODF) which causes a major issue of system complexity, development, maintenance, archiving and licensing. Furthermore, elements of ECMA’s standard contradict the recently ratified ODF standard, which if implemented, would lead to confusion for software developers, increase cost and leading to problems sharing and archiving documents. There are also serious doubts that the standard could be implemented outside the Microsoft environment, due to license requirements that are not made explicit.
ACTION: Write to your local standards organisation setting out your concerns, recommending that an issue of this importance should be reasonable given time for proper consideration and due diligence. A 30 day Fast Track Procedure is not appropriate for a 6000 page document. Contact list on the ODF Alliance European Website.
From: SourceWire
Streaming audio over TCP with python-gstreamer
by Sander MarechalI've fallen in love with Python. I'm always on the lookout for a good excuse to learn a new programming language. So, when I wanted something that lets me play my music collection from my server to my stereo I took python for a good test drive. Anoher thing I wanted an excuse for was learning gstreamer, so naturally I picked python-gstreamer.
Sadly there's a huge lack of documentation for it.There are only a few good tutorials around, first and foremost Jona Bacon's excellent tutorials [1][2][3]. I wanted my hack to work over TCP as well, because I have multiple music libraries. One on my home server, one on my desktop, a bit more on my laptop, etcetera. I want to be able to stream from other machines to my server which I'll hook up to my stereo. I could not find any tutorials on using tcpserversource and tcpclientsink elements, so honoring Jona's request that everyone “should write an article about something that you have discovered that isn’t particularly well documented”, here's mine about tcpserversource and tcpclientsink.
DRM on audio CD's abolished
EMI has stopped publishing audio CD's with DRM. It is the last publisher to do so. This means no DRM audio CD's will be released anymore.
On her website the NVPI (Dutch music organisation) reports that EMI is the last publisher to abolish DRM. “The costs of DRM do not measure up to the results”. The DRM software has to be renewed constantly to fight cracking. In addition it didn't work very well. […] Another complaint came from consumer rights organisations. They complained that people could not copy CD's for their own private use while that is legally allowed [in The Netherlands].
By abolishing DRM it has become easier to publish mp3's on the internet. Yet, Brein [Dutch RIAA] does not worry about an increase in illegal mp3 distribution. According to Tim Kuijk from Brein DRM had no effect at all on the ammount of mp3's published on the internet.
Uploading and downloading of mp3's is here to stay, unless DRM technology is significantly improved. Honest people will always be honest people and DRM doesn't stop people who have ill intentions anyway.
From draconian rootkit-style DRM (Sony-BMG) to no DRM at all in one year. A definitive victory for consumers everywhere.
