Category: Stories
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One billion unwanted opinions in real-time: Now SHOUTED at you
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Andrew Orlowski
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Hats off to young British entrepreneur Chris Ridgeon for developing a new tool for self-expression. Internetshout.com which launches today describes itself as “the world’s voice-based social and discussion forum” – and delivers exactly what it promises on the tin. Instead of simply spraying your thoughts onto the Hive Mind’s graffiti wall using ASCII, you can…
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Right-on Radiohead – the union busters?
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Andrew Orlowski
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The internet has been great for millionaire music performers and amateurs – it’s everyone else in between who gets screwed. Now we have Radiohead’s publisher Warner Chappell helping confirm the trend. The publisher’s head of business affairs Jane Dyball has divulged some information on the band’s “name your own price” offer last year. Radiohead offered…
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Google writes the internet’s first rule book
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Andrew Orlowski
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The regulator’s rule book for deciding what is permissible on today’s roads is very thick indeed. The content, behaviour and performance of “stuff on roads” is massive, and grows by the day. Try hot-rodding your lawnmower – or deciding that on Thursdays, you will only make left turns, and see how far you get. By…
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Sudden outbreak of democracy baffles US pundits
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Andrew Orlowski
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Something very spooky happened in the United States last week. The chances are you noticed it too, many days before it was reported. Tuesday found me in New York, on my first stateside visit in a couple of years. The details of the Bailout plan had just been revealed and the slow burn of outrage…
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Nokia’s free music offer isn’t so free
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Andrew Orlowski
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Few music business people expect Nokia’s unlimited free music giveaway to be repeated, or even last very long. There simply aren’t enough large consumer companies prepared to take such an expensive gamble . And Nokia’s richest partners aren’t interested in helping out. But it’s a radical and interesting offering that merits some serious analysis: certainly,…
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Songwriters pal with IT to counter the Google lobby
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Andrew Orlowski
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There’s a new lobby group in town – but unusually, this one unites traditional adversaries from tech, telecoms, and media companies. Backers include the American Songwriters Guild representing creators, Microsoft, Cisco, and AT&T, and media companies including Viacom and NBC. Everyone but Google, it seems. The launch in New York today was well attended by…