Here is a completely kooky stuff from a post by Jim Griffin, founder of the Pho music/tech mailing list on EFF blog on the Grokster decision.
That is a ways off, but from what I’m hearing back-channel it is not too far off, as Apple prepares its tiny wireless iPod with no hard-drive but enhanced Wi-Max (metropolitan-wide high-bandwidth wireless) connectivity; it won’t destroy downloading over night, but it will take a whack at its market share, and slowly but surely shift the market away from distribution/downloading and towards delivery/streaming.
What?? Isn’t there something like this which has been around for decades: its called the radio. I think this was one of the most buzzword compliant posts with absolutely no basis in reality.
5 comments so far
2:12 AM PT
No! Totally disagree. Radio doesn’t give you the tracks you want when you want them. Wi-Max delivered streaming could could give you much higher levels of choice/ niche programming than currently and with smart software you could flip between channels to listen only to your selected genres. This is new brew not old beer in new bottles.
TimH
8:55 AM PT
Agree with Tim. Your logic would equate VoD with broadcast television, or VoIP with PSTN, which as we all know is not the case.
The idea of streaming digital media over digital transport to be played back on digital devices, and doing away with the analog infrastructure, is rooted in additional for-fee services that service providers and content providers can come to market with. Though admittedly while there is a whole lot that is technically possible, only a few such add-on services will find sufficient traction in the long run.
But I am certainly amazed at the new Apple device being based on metropolitan wide Wi-Max. Wi-Max is being talked of (and hyped up) as a rural area broadband solution. Don’t think there are too many Apple fans/customers in those areas.
9:25 AM PT
Quoting Shirley Bassey-
“The word is about, there’s something evolving,
whatever may come, the world keeps revolving,
They say the next big thing is here,
that the revolution’s near,
but to me it seems quite clear,
that it’s all just a little bit of history repeating”
11:50 AM PT
Wimax! Wimax! It’s everywhere and in everything (when it isn’t doing dishes).
12:30 PM PT
Maybe it was a bit premature and buzz-word compliant, but the concept is right on the money. This idea is the so-called Celestial radio concept, having ALL MUSIC, EVERYWHERE. This is in effect, music streamed to a device over some sort of wireless conectivity; its rhapsody untethered straight to your ipod.
This should, and will happen, but as far as Apple delivering a driveless iPod with WiMax etc, I think that’s jumping the gun.
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