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(via -
Mashable! )
I read it on 03/18/10 at 06:36 PM
Posted on 03/18/10 at 10:01 PM
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   Universal Music Group will drop the prices on the majority of its new CD releases to between six and 10 dollars. This plan dubbed the Velocity program will go into effect in the second quarter of this year.
UMG hopes this plan will at least slow the serious decline in CD sales that has been going on since MP3s and other digital music downloads came on the scene. While UMG has its hands in music downloads and streaming, too, the profit margins are usually better with CDs. UMG claims that its cheaper CD plan will maintain a 25% profit margin. Up until now, most new CDs have actually been more expensive than their download counterparts. If the price comes down, consumers will be more likely to purchase the goods. It's a simple economic principle. But to try to incentivize music fans even further, UMG plans to load the jewel cases with deluxe content that you won't usually get with online purchases. We're not going to complain about lower prices. We welcome anything that reduces consumers' expenses. But do you think this will actually make a difference? A couple of us in the Mashable office haven't bought a CD in years if you're the same, will UMG's plan turn you around?
Will you buy deluxe CDs for under $10?polls
[img credit: lrargarich]
Reviews: MashableTags: CD, CDs, digital downloads, music, umg, universal music group 
Tags: music   umg cds cd plan
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(via -
Firedoglake )
I read it on 03/18/10 at 06:40 PM
Posted on 03/18/10 at 09:00 PM
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 (photo: Evil Erin) Matt Yglesias analyzes the failure of the progressive block strategy, and chalks it up to progressives not picking issues that centrists care about.
He doesn't note his own role in that failure, vilifying the leader of the progressive block Raul Grijalva as the world's greatest monster unless he backs down. (Our own whip effort started to back Grijalva's efforts, which were already underway in the House when we started in June of 2009.)
I've said many times that it's impossible to expect progressive members of Congress to hold together if they don't have the backing of their natural fiscal constituencies the liberal interest groups and the unions. Without that support, they're left to raise money from PACS and other corporate sources to sufficiently fund their campaigns. That's why they take turns championing progressive bills that ultimately fail so they can pretend they do something, and then vote for bad bills that ultimately pass so someone else can be the failed hero. When Tammy Baldwin votes for one PhRMA-friendly bill after another, progressives can say hey, but she's so good on LGBT issues! Which never actually pass either, but the kabuki keeps activists sufficiently docile and donating to large organizations who fundraise off amping up outrage.
But it's also worthy to note that it's hard for them to withstand the assault of liberal pundits who sneeringly derided their efforts as naive, futile and purist. They should be proudly taking credit for their role in delegitimizing progressive opposition to the bill in liberal intellectual circles, much the same role that the same people played during the Iraq war. After all, it's TNR's stock in trade.
I'll leave it to others to analyze how corporate cash was laundered through foundations to underwrite the efforts of various opinion leaders in the health care debate, but it definitely deserves more scrutiny. . .
Monday, June 1, 2009
Kaiser Family Foundation Launches New Non-Profit Health Policy News Service
Kaiser Health News Will Provide In-Depth Reporting on Major Health Policy Issues
Menlo Park, CA In the midst of a major federal health reform debate and the ongoing financial turmoil in the media industry, the Kaiser Family Foundation officially launched Kaiser Health News (KHN) today to provide a new source of in-depth reporting on major health issues. KHN is staffed by experienced health policy journalists and editors, and will feature contributions from a wide array of leading health policy commentators and independent journalists.
[]
At the heart of KHN will be in-depth, explanatory stories about complex health policy issues and major developments in Washington, D.C., and around the country in the health care marketplace and health care delivery system. The news service will cover policy stories like health care reform, developments in major public health coverage programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and complicated ongoing policy challenges like the financing of long-term care, and it will examine the nation's health care system from a consumer perspective. KHN will also provide a synthesis of health policy news coverage through a daily health policy report, original programming from Kaiser's broadcast studio, and regular columns from contributing writers and experts. Jonathan Cohn, senior editor of The New Republic, and Howard Gleckman, senior research associate at the Urban Institute and former senior correspondent at Business Week, will be writing bi-weekly columns. Among others who will contribute occasional columns are: Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute, Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Judy Feder of the Center for American Progress, and Mark Pauly of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
The development of Jonathan Gruber's much-vaunted model, which formed the justification for econo-wonks and politicians alike to support the Senate bill's voodoo claims about the excise tax, was originally paid for by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 1999 according to Gruber. It was given a facelift this year courtesy of the Small Business Majority, whose money comes from foundations including the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. (h/t spanishinquisition)
And recall that Kaiser Permanente was the original sponsor of the Washington Post pay-to-play salons.
You have to wonder if any of that Kaiser cash underwrote other efforts at the Post after the parties fell through.
HCAN's efforts were funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and George Soros foundations, among others.
So, come on, pundits. Don't let the lameness of progressives in Congress get all the credit for shooting down the public option, rolling back choice, and teeing up constitutional amendments to overturn the health care bill around the country.
Stand proud.
Tags: Blogosphere, Jonathan Gruber, Kaiser Family Foundation, Matt Yglesias, Media, new media, Raul Grijalva, Robert Wood Johnson, The New Republic, TNR, veal pen
Tags: health policy kaiser care foundation
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(via -
Dave Delaney - Community Enthusiast, Social Media Strategist, Marketing and Promotions Fella )
I read it on 03/18/10 at 06:38 PM
Posted on 03/18/10 at 06:14 PM
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 The insanity of the South by Southwest crowds and popularity of location-based services (LBSs) such as Foursquare and Gowalla have me thinking about the future of popular conferences and unconferences.
Do we still need the confines of a massive convention center?
SXSW has already outgrown the Austin Convention Center, spilling sessions into neighboring hotels. When the conference takes over the town, why doesn't the town take over the conference?
We were all glued to our mobile devices and the aforementioned services to track where the parties and people were, why not do the same with the sessions?
When so much value is in the hallway conversations, why not make the streets the hallway?
I realize this may be too insane to imagine for SXSW, but what about your local unconferences?
PodCamp and BarCamp Nashville have just about outgrown the Cadillac Ranch due to attendee numbers.
Why not reserve several neighboring bars, restaurants and cafes? Depending on weather, a city park would also suffice.
Then LBSs could be used to let you know where the people are using awesome services like vicarious.ly and SitBy.Us.
Thoughts?
Photo from Flickr by: Visualist Images
Related posts: - 10 signs SXSW Interactive is over And so ends another South by Southwest Interactive. SXSW...
- Location, location, location I've been using three location-based services recently on my...
- 5 tips for SXSW I am very excited to be attending SXSW Interactive!...
Tags: location sxsw services interactive based
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(via -
www.siliconvalleywatcher.com )
I read it on 03/16/10 at 08:10 PM
Posted on 03/17/10 at 12:09 AM
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10 Basic Digital Publishing Skills Journalists/Anyone Should Know...
By Tom Foremski - March 16, 2010
Most journalists I know can barely type, they certainly can't spell but they can tell a great story. Most professions have to continually upgrade their skills yet I know lots of journalists that are very reticent about adding new skills. They hate to shoot photos, or video, or edit the video. I know a journalist that does not know how to upload a photo! Carrying a pencil and a notepad is not enough, journalists need to know how to produce media content in a variety of ways. Here are ten basic skills journalists, heck, anyone should know: 1 - How to shoot a photo with a digital camera and transfer it to a computer for a quick edit. 2 - How to upload an image to a web site in the right format and size. 3 - How to add a hyperlink to a word or part of a sentence by hand. (i.e. hyperlink) 4 - How to quickly shoot digital video and do a quick edit and upload it to a hosting service such as YouTube, in the right format. 5 - How to embed the code for a video in a web page and resize it to fit the page width. 6 - How to capture audio for a video, or just an audio-only podcast, so that the audio is clear and background noise is minimal. 7 - Know some basic HTML and what it does so that common problems with a web page can be quickly fixed. 8 - Know some basic CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and what it does, and be able to quickly fix any problems with a web page. 9 - Know how to promote your content on the Internet without alienating contacts and family. 10 - Know how to get used to an always-on work day that often extends beyond 9-to-5, and produce three times as much digital media content as you think you can, while maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy.
Tags: journalists skills video basic digital
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(via -
www.appleinsider.com )
I read it on 03/16/10 at 08:00 PM
Posted on 03/16/10 at 11:58 PM
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NPR, WSJ plan Flash-free Web sites for Apple iPad
By Katie Marsal
Published: 03:50 PM EST
In addition to new App Store software, National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal also plan to create specific versions of their Web sites completely devoid of Adobe Flash for iPad users.
This week Peter Kafka with MediaMemo revealed that both NPR and the Journal will convert at least some portions of their Web site to load properly on the iPad. The custom-built sites will feature the same content and run concurrently with the traditional and iPhone/mobile-friendly versions of each Web site.
"Visitors to the newspaper's front page will see an iPad-specific, Flash-free page," Kafka said of the Journal's iPad Web site. "But those who click deeper into the site will eventually find pages that haven't been converted."
The news comes weeks after Virgin America revealed it dropped Flash content from its new Web site in order to allow users with iPhones to check in for flights.
But the Journal and NPR are both also creating App Store software specifically for the iPad, suggesting that content providers are taking a multi-pronged approach to Apple's forthcoming multimedia device. Kinsey Wilson, head of digital media for NPR, declined to give Kafka an advance look at the organization's forthcoming iPad application or Web site, but did provide a hint as to what the experience could be like.
"Wilson says that while iPhone apps are a 'very intentional experience' --you load the thing up and seek out specific content -- he thinks the iPad will be a 'lean back device,'" Kafka wrote. "That's traditionally the distinction multimedia types use to differentiate between a computer and a TV. Intriguing."
The exclusion of Adobe Flash from the iPad and subsequent comments attributed to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in which he allegedly called the Web standard a "CPU hog," have led to a considerable amount of debate over its merits and shortcomings.
Contributing to the conversation in January was Google, which added support for rival format HTML5 to the most popular video destination on the Internet, YouTube. The beta opt-in program is available only for browsers that support both HTML5 and H.264 video encoding. Apple, too, has placed its support behind HTML5.
For more on why Apple isn't likely to add support for Flash in the iPhone OS, read AppleInsider's three-part Flash Wars series.
Tags: ipad flash web apple site
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(via -
docs.google.com )
I read it on 03/07/10 at 08:58 PM
Posted on 03/08/10 at 01:56 AM
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This documentation is for TwitterOAuth library verision 0.1.x.
If you are using trunk (0.2.x) these instructions will be wrong! Try it out live: http://twitter.abrah.am Twitter OAuth is in beta and could change at any time. Feel free to contact me with bug/questions. A full TwitterOAuth lib will be released soon. Currently the code is hacked together and should not be used in production without proper testing. IndexDefinitionsConsumer: the application you are building. registered with twitter. Sometimes referred to as application
User: the user using your application. Token: there are several different sets of tokens usually in key/secret pairs. Consumer token: the token pair Twitter gives you when you register an application. Request token: the first token pair Twitter returns. used to build an authorize URL used to request the access token. Access token: unique to user. Used to access users data. Get the codePull code from http://github.com/abraham/twitteroauthgit clone git://github.com/abraham/twitteroauth.git Process overviewThis is a very simplistic overview of authenticating with Twitter's OAuth. - Build TwitterOAuth object.
- Request tokens from twitter.
- Build authorize URL.
- Send user to Twitter's authorize URL.
- Get access tokens from twitter.
- Rebuild TwitterOAuth object.
- Query Twitter API with new access tokens.
ProcessFor this example we will be using the the index.php from the example folder and it will be located in the web root. public/index.php
public/twitteroauth/
Go to https://twitter.com/oauth_clients and register a new application. Fill out what the form. For a callback URL we will be using http://example.com/index.php. Once registered you will get a consumer key and a consumer secret. Those go in index.php Now we create a TwitterOAuth object. The class constructor chooses HMAC-SHA1 as the signature method, and builds a OAuthConsumer object with the app consumer key/secret. $to = new TwitterOAuth($consumer_key, $consumer_secret); With that object we use curl to request a token from twitter. The API URL we hit is https://twitter.com/oauth/request_token. getRequestToken() pulls the tokens from twitter, parses it into an array, and creates a new OAuthConsumer object. $tok = $to->getRequestToken();
Save the tokens for when the user returns from Twitter. Set up the authorization URL. This is the URL the user will visit to tell twitter the application can access their data. https://twitter.com/oauth/authorize is used. $request_link = $to->getAuthorizeURL($token); Once the user tells twitter yes and returns we request the access tokens. The access tokens can be thought of the users passwords and will be used to authenticate as them for future API calls. https://twitter.com/oauth/access_token is used. $tok = $to->getAccessToken();
At this point you can check https://twitter.com/account/connections and the application should be listed. Build a new TwitterOAuth object using consumer key/secret and access key/secret. $to = new TwitterOAuth($consumer_key, $consumer_secret, $user_access_key, $user_access_secret);
Now to interact with the API as the user to verify their credentials. This should return their profile. You can now save the access key/secret as being associated with the returned user info. $content = $to->OAuthRequest('https://twitter.com/account/verify_credentials.xml', array(), 'GET');
To send a status update change the API URL and add a key/value array. $content = $to->OAuthRequest('https://twitter.com/statuses/update.xml', array('status' => 'Test OAuth update. #testoauth'), 'POST'); There you have it. Basic interaction with Twitter's OAuth beta. To run other commands just change the API URL and array() keys/values in the last call. LinksMy website: http://abrah.amTwitter: http://twitter.comOAuth: http://oauth.netTwitter API docs: http://apiwiki.twitter.comTwitter API discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talkFire Eagle OAuth docs: http://fireeagle.yahoo.net/developer/documentation/php_walkthru
Tags: twitter access token oauth key
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(via -
Liliputing )
I read it on 03/02/10 at 09:32 AM
Posted on 03/02/10 at 02:13 PM
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It's been well over a year since Asus first showed off its Eee Keyboard concept, which packs a complete Windows computer into a keyboard that you can connect to a TV over a wireless HDMI connection. The idea is that you can surf the web, stream video over a home network, or do just about anything you can do with a PC on your TV. The keyboard also has a built in touchscreen panel for interacting with certain elements of the computer while you're watching a video or doing something else with the TV display.
Now, after a major redesign and a lot of waiting, Asus says it will finally get around to launching the Eee Keyboard in April. The question is more than a year later, are you still at all interested in this device?
Asus has also officially introduced the DR-900 eBook reader. It has a 9 inch display, WiFi, and optional 3G. Its battery is supposed to be good for up to 10,000 page turns.
While Asus hasn't made all the specs official yet, earlier this year specs were released for a mighty similar looking machine called the DR-950, which has a 1024 x 768 pixel display., 4GB of storage, headphone jack, and support for MP3, ePUB, PDF and TXT formats.
No word on a launch date or price yet.
Post from: Liliputing
Asus Eee Keyboard due out in April, eBook Reader coming soon
Tags: keyboard asus eee tv year
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(via -
GigaOM )
I read it on 03/02/10 at 09:30 AM
Posted on 03/02/10 at 02:03 PM
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 Twitter may be working on the imminent launch of its own advertising platform, but that hasn't stopped others from rushing to profit from the social network. A Twitter ad service called 140proof announced today that its ads will now be integrated into the iPhone and Android mobile apps from HootSuite, a Twitter tool that many businesses use to manage their social-media marketing campaigns. Unlike some other advertising options for Twitter, which have seen celebrities paid to endorse products in their posts, 140proof ads are messages posted to a user's stream by the company in service of a specific targeted ad campaign.
140proof, which is based in San Francisco and backed by a $2-million investment raised last summer from Blue Run Ventures and Founders Fund, said that its algorithm aims ads at users based on their profiles and other public data. Other Twitter advertising services include Ad.ly, which has gotten some press attention for paying celebrities such as Kim Kardashian thousands of dollars to endorse products to their followers, as well as Magpie, Assetize and IZEA.
The question all of these services will inevitably confront including Twitter itself, once it launches its own platform is how users will react to a wave of advertising in what was once an ad-free social network (in the case of 140proof, of course, you can simply not use HootSuite's mobile apps and you won't see them). Many of these services are only just ramping up in what will undoubtedly become a much bigger campaign to bring ads to the Twittersphere. So what will you do when ads start appearing in your Twitter stream?
Related content from GigaOm Pro (sub req'd):
How Human Users Are Holding Twitter Back
      
Tags: twitter ads ad tech advertising
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(via -
My Urban Report )
I read it on 03/02/10 at 08:50 AM
Posted on 03/02/10 at 01:44 PM
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by Amani Channel
I'm heading to Tampa, Florida for a couple of days to take care of some business. I have my second thesis defense at the University of South Florida, and tomorrow I'm scheduled to give a teleseminar with the Poynter Institute about producing news with with smartphones.
My mobile media journey started a couple of years ago when I used Twitter to share news from the field as I covered the 2008 Gulf Coast storm season for the now defunct HDNews. I don't know how many journalists were doing it at the time, but I found Twitter and hashtags (like #Ike and #gustav) to be a great way to share first hand accounts of what I was witnessing from the field during Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricane Gustav, Ike and Tropical Storm Hanna.
I also used my blog to post the stories that we produced from the field and I shared footage that wasn't included in my stories. Oh if only the iPhone 3GS was out back then. The iPhone and other smartphones like the Android and Nokia models make it extremely easy to share video from anywhere. Other applications and sites like TwitPic allow easy photo sharing.
We all know that media can't be every. But people with these devices are everywhere, and it's changing the face of news and information. As an example, check out these pics from the Chile earthquake that were posted via Twitter.
Of course I can't share all of my secrets, but if you check out this Webinar, you should have a greater understanding of now TV news stations, and vloggers like myself are using technology to innovate the gathering of content.
WTTG Fox 5 in Washington DC, and KOB in New Mexico are doing a great job of experimenting with technology to enhance coverage.
I'll probably be posting mostly mobile videos, so keep it tuned to either my Twitter account, or check back here for the latest video updates.
Forgive the typos, I gotta board my flight!
Tags: news share twitter field check
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(via -
Android Tapp )
I read it on 03/02/10 at 08:50 AM
Posted on 03/02/10 at 01:31 PM
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Now that AT&T has joined the Android revolution, the first question new Android users will ask is what Android apps should I download? Luckily we've created a simple guide to get you started:
First we'll start with the operating system version of the Motorola Backflip at launch, which is version 1.5  the latest and greatest to date is 2.1 (with majority of users on 1.6). This may affect your ability to download some apps as they are compatible with higher versions of the OS. Why is the OS version so out of date? Motoblur Motorola tricked out the software for social networking ease however they have not released Motoblur on the latest and greatest Android OS. Don't fret an update is coming soon.
Now that we're over the OS hump, we'll recommend some of the best Android apps for your Motorola Backflip many for free!
 Browse and Search files on your SD Card and phone with Astro File Manager.  Close individual or all apps and background services with Advanced Task Killer.  Meridian Player for Music & Videos.  Dolphin Browser allows you to browse the web using Tabs and create shortcuts using Gestures.  Handcent SMS offers text messaging like on iPhone, get T9 text capabilities and text signatures.  Shazam... simply awesome! Get any song by simply letting your phone listen to it!  i Music & i Music Tao allows you to download free MP3s.  Stream music for free with Pandora Internet Radio.  Turn your AT&T Backflip into a media remote with Gmote and even control your computer via phone!  Scan bar codes of products in stores to find best pricing nearby or online with ShopSavvy.  Photo scan products to get pricing and details with Google's Shopper  Aloqa location-based app finds places nearby you versus you searching for it.  Abduction! Is an additive game using your phone's accelerometer.  Robo Defense is a classic tower defense game for Android phones.  Check out parts 1, 2, and 3 of the Mystique 3D horror puzzle game series.  Like words games? Try Wuzzle for hours of fun!  Kill time with addictive Jewellust game  You can't forget a classic time-killer like Solitaire.  Guess what others are drawing while they guess your drawing all online with What The Doodle!?  Satisfy your Vegas crave with Blackjack Pro! If you download all these apps you might run out of space on your Backflip! Do check these apps out and tell us what you think in the comments.
Tags: android apps backflip music download
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