Alston Grove

We knew this was coming. Music industry sues P2P firm LimeWire. Limewire is an open-source P2P client for the Gnutella network. The basic version is free, and the professional version is under $20.

This case is different from the Grokster one. To download Limewire, you must click-thru a “Non-Infringing Intent of Use” and answer “I will not use Limewire for copyright infringment.” So even if people are using it to copy RIAA-backed music, Limewire can say that it does not actively “induce” copyright infringement. Unfortunately, the RIAA will do their best to prolong and make this case as expensive as possible.

Will the music industry ever get the message? Stop overcharging for your music, especially online!

Which reminds me, I’ll be watching AllOfMp3.com closely in the next few weeks. On September 1, 2006, a Russian amendment to law will take effect, explicitly referring to the online distribution of creative works. AllOfMp3 acknowledges the copyright legislation and vows to have agreements with the rightholders in place to continue doing business.

Could you imagine what it would be like if all online music stores were as cheap as AllOfMp3? There would be very little copying of music, and everyone would find it more convenient to buy. There would be no more need for middlemen like the RIAA. I guess that’s why they’re fighting so hard.

As you may have read, I am always looking out for a better Slim Keyboard that has the minimalist programmer in mind. So, now I’ve gone and bought an A4Tech KL-5 Mini Keyboard.

It’s not too bad, much like a laptop keyboard, really. Things I like:

• Nice typing sound, easy tactile pressure
• Slight ridges on “home” keys for index fingers
• Normal size keys
• Has cursor keys, home, end, page up/down
• Acceptable number of annoying keys (e-mail, browser) that are small and less noticeable
• Space bar is centered
• Function keys are smaller, out of the way
• Backspace and Enter keys are acceptable sizes
• Nice form factor and attractive look

Things I don’t like:

• Control key makes my fingers play twister
• Where’s the little feet to angle it up?
• Cursor keys are in-line, which slows down finding them
• The Escape key is too small and too far away

I mapped the Caps Lock key to the Control key, and I think I’m getting used to it otherwise. The Happy Hacker keyboard was nice, but the key clacking was beginning to drive me mad.

Little bits of privacy lost here and there seem harmless, but are they adding up to something? Lately, I feel like companies know me better than my friends.

On my birthday, I got happy birthday cards from insurance companies. On my wedding anniversary, I got advertisements from jewelry companies. After my son was born, I got ads for baby products. When rates dropped below our mortgage rate, I got offers that showed exactly how much money I could save. When my house was listed for sale, I got ads for moving services. After we moved, local businesses sent me welcome letters.

I feel like I’m being tracked and targeted by guerrilla marketers. It’s all public information, so what’s the big deal, right?

I think someone needs to build a website that collects information from various public sources and publishes profiles on people. It could contain:

• birth announcements
• phone and address directories
• real estate transactions, mortgages
• GIS property map, satellite imagery
• municipal court cases, state prisoner incarceration
• deadbeat parents, child support non-payments
• voter registration

Cross-referenced and processed, you might see that Bob is 32, married to Jane with 2 children who are ages 1 and 3, and they just paid $300,000 for a house at 500 Main Street. Click here for a picture of the house. Here are phone numbers and e-mail addresses. They registered as democrat last election. Bob got a speeding ticket last week.

Maybe it could be a social network, only instead of updating your own profile, you update someone else’s. Give the scoop on who the person is, link them to other people they associate with, and enter revealing information about them. It could be like wikipedia for people.

For a nominal fee, you could subscribe with the site and have your information kept private. It could be called… Privacy4Sale.com. Hey, you gave up your privacy, so now you have to pay!