UNINNOVATE / Engineering At Its Finest

Two notable online video websites were launched within a month of each other in the last quarter of 2005. One was called MtvU Uber and was Mtv’s attempt to reach college users with an online-only channel that users could program themselves by using “setlists” and featured student-produced content. Another was a no-name startup by some former PayPal employees called YouTube.com that allowed users to upload their own videos. Earlier this month, Google purchased YouTube.com for $1.65 billion, which is 6.5% of the total value of Viacom, the conglomerate that owns Mtv and many other televsions networks. Ask an average college student if they prefer to use YouTube.com or MtvU Uber and the most likely response is “Uber what?”

While YouTube.com allows anyone to upload video and makes the video available to everyone using any type of modern computer, MtvU Uber carefully selects videos and only works with Internet Explorer on Windows-based computers. Even though the content on MtvU Uber is free for anyone to access, users can only view videos with a special player that requires Windows DRM. Anyone attempting to access MtvU Uber with a Macintosh computer or using a browser like Firefox will see a message like this one:

Both MtvU Uber and YouTube.com are supported by advertising. Advertising revenue is determined by the number of users that a business can drive to it’s website. According to web traffic ranking website Alexa.com, YouTube.com is the #9 most popular website on the entire internet while MtvU.com ranks as #61,990. The following comparison graph provided by Alexa.com shows that MtvU.com’s traffic is so low that it appears as a flat line at zero when compared with YouTube.com.

While pervasive DRM isn’t helping MtvU Uber reach users, it is only one of several reasons that MtvU Uber has failed to capture the attention of the public. Unninovation is a way of thinking that extends beyond simple technical measures like DRM.
YouTube.com adopted a model where the user is completely in charge. It was a brave move by young entreprenuers who were either too smart to kowtow to the wishes of media corporations or too experienced to worry about who might not like it. Mtv played it safe and now its online venture is fading into obscurity. Innovation is all about changing the way the game is played. Uninnovation is about playing the game safely at the expense of the user. Safe moves don’t build $1.65B businesses in a year’s time. As Cory Doctorow said, technology companies need to stop listening to the media establishment and “go and eat their lunch!” If they don’t, some kids with a no-name startup will.

Update: Watch what happens when an mtvu.com link gets posted on fark.com and many of the users can’t make the videos play on their computers.  In true fark.com fashion, Hilarity ensues.

technorati tags:uninnovation, mtvu, uber, youtube, drm

Virtualization software allows operating systems, such as Windows or Linux, to run inside another operating system at nearly full speed. While this technology has been around for quite awhile, advances in software and hardware have made virtualization very attractive. In addition, a price war between VMWare and Microsoft has left consumers with several powerful virtualization solutions that are completely free to use.

Virtualization software is becoming an integral part of software testing and IT management. Because virtual machines are stored as a single file and can easily be copied or deleted, it makes it very easy for software testers to deply a virtual machine, test a software application, and then redeploy a fresh machine to test again. For IT managers, virtualization allows them to create virtual servers that can be moved from one physical machine to another if additional computing power is needed or needs change over time.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to prevent users of Windows Vista from taking full advantage of virtualization software. The End-User License Agreement, or EULA, for Windows Vista Home Edition explicitly forbids running the operating system in a virtual machine:

4. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES.
You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system.

Windows Vista Home Basic / Windows Vista Home Premium EULA

Microsoft is slightly less restrictive with Windows Vista Ultimate Edition and allows it to run in a virtual machine, but does not allow the user to access any Microsoft DRM-protected content inside of the virtual machine:

6. USE WITH VIRTUALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES.
You may use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system on the licensed device. If you do so, you may not play or access content or use applications protected by any Microsoft digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other Microsoft rights management services or use BitLocker. We advise against playing or accessing content or using applications protected by other digital, information or enterprise rights management technology or other rights management services or using full volume disk drive encryption.

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition EULA

While it is not likely that IT managers will be deploying Windows Vista Home Edition in a datacenter, the ability to run Vista Home in a virtual machine is essential for software developers and testers who want to ensure full software compatibility with the myriad versions of Windows Vista. And by preventing access to Microsoft DRM-protected content inside of virtual machines, Microsoft is further dictating to customers the ways in which they can use their own data.

Virtualization is one of the most exciting developments in computing and we are in the midst of a sea change in how operating systems are deployed. While other operating system vendors are embracing virtualization, Microsoft is limiting it’s use.

A company called ProtectDisc has implemented a new copy protection scheme for DVDs. Called Protect DVD-Video, the protect scheme is advertised to movie studios as a way to easily protect any disc from any form of copying and first appeared on the European DVD release of Silent Hill:

ProtectDVD-Video is a new form of copy protection, especially designed for DVD-Video. By combining special media structures implemented at the replicator facility with the DVD internal navigation structure, ProtectDVD makes it impossible to created 1:1 copies or complete rips of the protected DVD. ProtectDVD effectively protects DVDs against copying and ripping - and thus prevents unauthorized distribution over the internet.

From the users perspective ProtectDVD is a preferred choice because of its unique compatibility and transparent implementation.

ProtectDISC - Products

While ProtectDisc claims it’s protection scheme completely prevents copying with no loss of compatibility, ZDNet is reporting that Protect DVD-Video discs will not play in Windows Media Player at all:

The upshot of this is that if you have a DVD disc protected by Protect DVD-Video and you try to play the disc in a PC-based system using, say, Windows Media Player, the process will fail. Now, lets be clear here, we are taking about a genuine, legitimate DVD disc not working in a PC, not a pirated disc or a download via a torrent. Protect DVD-Video protects a DVD by basically making it un-playable in a DVD drive that’s in a Windows-based PC.

» Protect DVD-Video - A slap in the face for PC and Media Center owners | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

And ProtectDVD’s claims that the copy protection is full-proof do not seem to reflect reality. Within days of the ZDNet article, AnyDVD, a DVD decryption program, released an update that easily bypasses Protect DVD-Video:

AnyDVD 6.0.8.0

Latest Changes: * New: Added support for the “Protect DVD-Video” copy protection to the option to remove “Protection based on unreadable Sectors”

FileForum New Releases

Even before AnyDVD was updated, users had already found ways to work around this new protection scheme using existing software. Forum posts around the web indicate that discs protected with this method can still be easily copied.

This is an especially pathetic case of uninnovation because the harm to paying customers is severe while the harm to pirates seems to be non-existent. Aside from preventing all legitimate customers from playing their DVDs on their computes, there does not seem to be any use for this new protection scheme. All of the standard DVD decryption software can be easily updated to allow the protected discs to be copied and most were updated within days. Once again the movie industry has chosen to punish paying customers while doing absolutely nothing to prevent piracy.

technorati tags:protectdisc, protectdvd, anydvd, dvd, video, uninnovation

Since it’s initial release in December 2005, the Creative’s Zen Vision:M portable music player has been receiving awards including Best of Show at CES and a Red Dot award for product design. The device also was named “Editor’s Choice” by CNet:

CNET editors’ review

Excellent/ Editor’s Choice / 8.0out of 10
The good:

Available in five colors, the Creative Zen Vision:M has an incredible screen, a simple interface, excellent video battery life, an FM tuner and recorder, and a voice recorder. It features a customizable Shortcut button, and it supports a wide range of online music stores and subscription services, as well as video formats. It has excellent audio and video quality.

Reviews by CNET

Creative was having some success luring users away from Apple’s iPod because they were offering a good product with more features than the iPod. However, Creative seems intent on undoing these gains. A little over a week ago, Creative released a new software update for the Zen Vision:M player. This update disables the FM recording feature and gives no reason for doing so:

This download contains an improved version of the firmware found on your ZEN Vision:M™. It adds the Volume Restriction feature, which allows you to restrict your player’s maximum playback volume. For more information, read the rest of this web release note.
This firmware removes your player’s FM recording feature.

Creative Customer Support: Downloads

This behavior is inexcusable. Consumers bought this device expecting to be able to record radio programs and could happily do so for almost a year, but now Creative is turning off this feature without giving a reason. Users across the web are furious with this uninnovation:

“I would send a nasty letter to Creative when you’re done downgrading too, but that’s just me. I know I sent one to Apple when they castrated iTunes’ ability to share over the internet, a feature that I had used all the time to listen to my music while studying or working in another building.

Companies need to know that we won’t just bend over and let them fuck us with little “upgrades” like that, at least not without noticing.”

User “Kadin2048″ posting on Slashdot.org

Users like Kadin2048 are posting links to a forum post that details how to downgrade the Zen Vision:M to regain the lost FM recording feature. However, this is a temporary solution that gives users the choice between downgrading to out of date and unsupported software or upgrading and losing features.

Creative needs to issue an explanation for this “upgrade” and re-enable the feature. It is not acceptable for companies to sell products with one feature set and then change the feature set after release. In a fierce market with little room for error, this is no way to compete with Apple.

technorati tags:creative, zen, vision, vision:m, fm, recording, upgrade, uninnovation

Bleep.com is a UK-based online music store in the tradition of Emusic.com. Like Emusic.com, it offers a variety of music as DRM-free MP3 files from a large selection of independent labels. But Bleep.com has improved on Emusic.com and is offering full-length previews of tracks before purchase. Files downloaded from Bleep.com are encoded as 320kbps MP3s instead of 192kbps files offered by Emusic.com for better sound quality. Blogs can even embed track previews in posts, like this:

Emusic.com has also been criticized for offering a much smaller selection of music to non-United States customers. This is because Emusic.com has to deal with different licensing agreements in different countries or regions and isn’t allowed to sell all of its music outside of the United States. Bleep.com has managed to license its content for all users worldwide:

Q: I AM IN ALASKA/THE NORTH POLE, DOES THAT MATTER?
A: As long as you have an internet connection and a fairly modern browser (Internet Explorer 6, Safari 1.0, Firebird 0.7) you can access and use Bleep.com anywhere in the world, whether using an Apple Mac or a Windows based PC. Lots of bandwidth and a fast connection obviously helps too!

BLEEP.COM | BLEEP - FAQ

Last week, Bleep.com recieved some attention in the press when it recieved a UK Music Award for Best Music Store and beat out much larger competition:

There was surprise that iTunes, responsible for 70 per cent of UK paid-for downloads, lost out in the best music store category to independent music specialist, Bleep.com.

Bleep sells MP3 downloads with a much higher sound quality than iTunes, for 99p a track. The downloads can be played on iPods and any other MP3 player because they are free of the “copy protection” used by competitors.

BT Digital Music Awards - Music - Times Online

While Bleep.com is a still fairly new in the online marketplace, it has managed to win a major award on the strength of it’s high-quality, DRM-free offerings. While independent labels continue to eat a large share of online music sales, major labels still refuse to give customers high-quality music that plays anywhere.

As the customer base for online music develops a better understanding of the issues involved with DRM and is exposed to stores like Emusic.com and Bleep.com, it is likely that demand for DRM-free downloads will increase. In an online word where it is just as easy to type Bleep.com as it is to type Rhapsody.com, consumers will naturally move towards options that don’t frustrate their attempts to play back their own music. The only advantage of music stores like Rhapsody.com is the major label content. But with independent record labels like V2 Records (The White Stripes) or TVT Records (Lil’ Jon) blurring the traditional line between “Major-label” and “Independent”, a transition is already happening. More and more popular music is showing up in DRM-free music stores. This trend is likely to continue.

technorati tags:bleep.com, drm, music, store, itunes, itms

DRM is a topic often convered on this blog because it is one of the most common forms of uninnovation. However, it can be difficult to explain the harmful aspects of DRM to the general public in a meaningful way. DRM systems are often complex and affect systems that consumers are just starting to really understand, such as mp3 players and online music and movie stores.

This video, created by R. Clayton for defectivebydesign.org, does a great job of explaining why DRM is bad for consumers - in 60 seconds.

technorati tags:drm, defectivebydesign, uninnovate

On Tuesday, DreamHost unveiled a new type of file download service.  The service allows independent bands, writers, and anyone else who wants to sell digital media online to do so without large investments in network infrastructure.  Called Files Forever, the service lets anyone upload content to sell with DreamHost providing all the file hosting and billing services.  The only catch is that all files sold must be DRM-free.

Files Forever!

What is it?

It’s a new service (during the beta only open to DreamHost Customers) that allows you to sell your own digital files, a la iTMS.. but with a few key differences:

• No DRM is allowed.. period!
• Once you upload your file to sell, you pay a tiny one-time storage fee, and we serve it FOREVER at a nice, permanent, URL.
• Anybody who buys a file somebody offers via Files Forever get an online backup of it included.. that is, they may re-download the file as many times as they want, FOREVER!
• Any file you buy from Files Forever you can also “loan” to your friends via the service! They are then allowed to download the file as much as they want until you ask for it “back.” (This is awesome, trust me.)
  
• We handle all the payment processing / shopping cart stuff, and take just 5% + 50c for credit card fees. (We combine purchases to minimize these costs too.)
  # You can even offer an “affiliate cut” for people who re-sell your files!

DreamHost Blog » iTunes Music Sore

This sounds like an incredible deal for anyone who wants to sell music or other media online but that doesn’t have the money or fame to reach other venues like the iTunes Music Store.  In addition, this service allows independent artists to offer customers a better product than existing online music stores that are laden with DRM restrictions.  Files Forever is the first service that allows purchasers to “loan” their purchases to their friends legally or redownload purchased files an unlimited number of times if the originals are lost. 

Full Disclosure: DreamHost also hosts this blog, but Uninnovate.com is a regular paying customer and has no other business relationship with DreamHost.

technorati tags:dreamhost, filesforever, music, store, itunes

Adult Swim is the block of TV programming on Cartoon Network aimed at adults. It features some of the weirdest and most original shows on television and has gained a large following since it’s debut in 2001.

In 2005, Adult Swim launched an online video-on-demand website called Adult Swim Fix. On the website, visitors can view whole shows or even whole seasons of shows for free. New episodes of shows are often available online before they air on TV.

Unlike other online video sites, Adult Swim Fix doesn’t shackle their videos with unreasonable DRM. All videos are normal Windows Media streams. The videos will play on Windows, Mac (with Flip4Mac installed), or even on Linux (with VLC or CrossOver). With a little work, you can even watch Adult Swim Fix videos on your Video iPod.

How to put Adult Swim Fix videos on your iPod (Mac Version):

One-Time Setup

1. Make sure you have Flip4Mac installed so you can watch the videos. It’s a free download from Microsoft.
2. Also make sure you have iSquint installed. It’s also free.

Process

1. Go to Adult Swim Fix and watch your favorite show.
2. When the show is finished (and thus completely downloaded), click on the “down arrow” button at the bottom right of the video window and choose “Save As Quicktime Movie…”. Save the video somewhere with the file name of your choice. Just make sure the filename ends with “.mov”.
3. Open up iSquint. Click the “+” button and choose the file from step 2. Click “Start” and wait until the video conversion is done.
4. Open iTunes and connect your iPod. Drag the new video created in step 3 to your iPod.

That’s it! If you use Windows, you can follow a similar process but instead use FlashGet to save the streams and Videora to convert them for use on the iPod. Linux users can save streams with VLC, convert them with ffmpeg, and add them to their iPod with gtkpod.

technorati tags:adultswim, fix, ipod, video, flip4mac, flashget, gtkpod, ffmpeg, videora

A week ago, I reported on the LG Fusic cell phone. According to reviews online, the cell phone’s much-touted MP3 playback features were artificially limited:

In what appears to be an effort to thwart ring tone piracy, the MP3 player only operates when the phone can talk back to Sprint. Unfortunately, this limits it’s usefulness in places where there is no consistent cell coverage, like subways, rural areas, and planes.

Uninnovate.com » LG Fusic Cell Phone/MP3 player can’t play MP3s in the Subway

Well, it turns out the LG Fusic has an even worse feature called Firmware over the Air, or FOTA. This allows the phone’s internal software to be updated by the cell phone carrier. The idea is that the owner of the cell phone doesn’t have to be bothered manually updating the phone when the cell phone provider can automatically do it for them.

Unfortunately, the LG Fusic doesn’t ask the user to confirm that they want their phone updated. According to reports online, the phone by default will apply any update sent to it from the cell phone provider. Sprint released a new update last week which contained a software bug that effectively made every LG Fusic completely nonfunctional:

It seems the firmware update, pushed just a couple days ago to customers’ handsets, quickly and efficiently bricked each and every one of them. The whole situation is a full order of magnitude more frightening than Nokia’s similar experience with the E70, seeing how Nokia’s update was optional and at least required the user to manually perform the upgrade.

Sprint fumbles, fries Fusics with faulty firmware - Engadget

In this case, the faulty update was a mistake and LG Fusic owners can visit their local Sprint store to have their phone fixed. But this is a preview of larger problems with FOTA. Unless a user can choose whether or not to accept an update to their phone, they are at the mercy of the cell phone provider to give them useful, working updates. If the cell phone provider or one of their partners wants to turn off features or add new restrictions after the user has paid for the phone, they can with FOTA. And if the past is any indication, it’s likely that they will.

technorati tags:sprint, fota, lg, fusic