'98 to '08: What we lost along the way
In the '90s, when the MP3 was new, it was difficult to predict the medium's effect on the music industry and our culture. Today, the results of the MP3 revolution are starting to show, and I sometimes wonder what we won.It's fitting that 2008 marks the 10-year anniversary of two of the first MP3 players, the Eiger Labs MPMan F10, and the Rio PMP300, but chances are you didn't listen to a first-gen MP3 player in 1998. With the first iPod still three years off, most of us were in the heights of our compact disc addiction 10 years ago, content to hear our music on portable CD players. Hell, some of us still listened to cassettes.The Sony Discman pictured above belongs to me. I never use it, but I like holding on to it because it reminds me of how amazing I once thought CDs were. Sure, they would skip like crazy, get scratched, or even break, but compact discs were the first medium to usher in the idea of "permanent" music--albums that (if treated kindly) would never degrade over time. After a lifetime of warped LPs and worn-out cassettes, CDs seemed almost magical.Today, most of us take for granted that our MP3s won't wear out or skip. In fact, there's tons of antiquated annoyances we no longer worry about in the age of the MP3. For instance, when was the last time you had to special-order your music at a record store and wait a week or more for it to arrive? When was the last time you wanted to hear an album you know you own but couldn't locate in the mess of your apartment? As the music in our lives has evaporated into noncorporeal ones and zeros, the troubled memories of acquiring and maintaining a physical music collection are quickly fading into the past.Despite the advantages of the MP3, I'm willing to wager that somewhere in your home you have a shelf, closet, or box filled with CDs, records, or cassettes (maybe even MiniDiscs). Why do we hang on to these antiques? Is it nostalgia? Is it the fear of losing something we can't regain? Or are we just lazy?Programs such as iTunes perfectly sort my digital music collection, but also homogenize artists into a spreadsheet of flat, impersonal squares. As a music lover, I can't decide whether technology has improved my relationship with music or simply sanitized it.Call it the MP3-era hangover, but even as online music providers are finally offering the DRM-free downloads we asked for years ago, I'm starting to realize that my fascination with the MP3 is starting to wane. As a music fan, I can't completely accept that MP3s are the end of the line. I won't be reviving my old Discman anytime soon, but I can't help but wonder if we've lost more than we realize in the process of virtualizing our music collections.I want to hear what you guys think, but to start you off, here's my list of music listening habits I had in 1998 that for reasons directly or indirectly related to the advent of the MP3, have died off. Admittedly, some of these habits are also related to the difference between being 19 and 29 (you can decide which are which).Borrowing musicI know this may sound weird considering all the P2P music "sharing" going on these days, not to mention music-focused social networks such as Last.fm, but I miss borrowing CDs from friends. Like lending out a good book, lending music used to mean the lender actually gave up something, and that sacrifice imbued the music with personal meaning. Borrowing physical media also involves face-to-face interaction, oftentimes leading to great conversations. The modern age of copying, uploading, and linking to music has allowed me to discover new music at a much faster rate, but those discoveries seem much less personal.Album artwork and liner notesAs far back as I can remember, whenever I brought home a new cassette or CD I would pop it in my stereo and immediately look over the album artwork and liner notes. Back then, I remember feeling ripped off if a group didn't include printed lyrics, but these days, I don't think twice that most of my music collection exists as a grid of basic metatags. Sure I can always jump on a band's MySpace page or Wikipedia entry if I want to know where they're from, what they're singing about, who their drummer is, or what their album cover looks like at full size, but I wish that information was still a part of the "product." Used musicI spent more than two years of my life working in a new and used record store in Sacramento, where used CDs outsold new CDs about four to one. Used CDs not only offered our customers an inexpensive way to acquire new music, it gave people who were bored with their music a way to put money back in their pocket. Putting aside my nostalgia for used music stores, I think we forget that MP3s are the first music format consumers cannot legally resell. Maybe I'm weird, but over the past 10 years, I've been happy to find myself on both sides of the used music economy--selling CDs to make rent, and buying great old records at garage sales. iTunes has never helped me pay the bills, and aside from illegal file sharing, there's no way to put your MP3s back into circulation after you're tired of them.Music as furnitureI've known people with CD and record collections that take up an entire room of their home. Personally, I love going over to a friend's home and seeing what's on their shelves (books, CDs, DVDs). As our music collections disappear from our shelves and become entombed in our computers and iPods, something gets lost. Sure, it means dinner guests can no longer judge your bad taste in music, but it also means that when you want to hear Nick Drake on a on rainy Sunday afternoon, you'll need to boot up Windows Media Player or scroll through your iPod. Personally, I miss having Nick Drake live on my shelf as a tangible part of my life, and I miss seeing friend's music collections laid bare for me to analyze and admire.So how about you? What do you miss about how you experienced music 10 years ago? Has today's technology made you feel more or less connected to the bands and musicians behind the music you hear today? Has the shuffle feature on your iPod opened you to new music, or just erased your attention span? I really want to know, so sound off in the comments.
How to install iOS 6 developer preview
How to install iOS 6 developer preview
During the WWDC keynote, Apple demoed several of the new features in iOS 6, including Facebook integration, the new Maps app, turn-by-turn directions, a "Do Not Disturb" feature for when you don't want to answer your phone, and several enhancements that make Siri "smarter." In total, iOS 6 brings more than 200 new features over iOS 5 and, with today's announcement, tons of app developers are flocking to Apple's iOS Dev Center to download the beta.Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple's WWDC news: New MacBook Pros, iOS 6, upgraded SiriFirst take: MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayApple unveils iOS 6 with 200 new features, Siri gets updateApple's WWDC keynote: What we didn't getBefore you can even think about installing the iOS 6 beta you'll need to have an iOS developer account, or know someone who has an iOS developer account. The iOS developer program costs $99 per year for individuals and $299 for companies wishing to develop iOS apps. Next, you'll need to make sure the UDID of the iOS device or devices you wish to test on are registered with the iOS developer program, thus making your device eligible to install beta iOS software from Apple on. Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that this software is intended for developers who are working on creating or updating apps. If you load iOS 6 beta you'll have horrible battery life, some features flat-out won't work, and the overall experience will be trying at times. And there is no easy way to revert your device to running iOS 5 once you have loaded iOS 6 on it. Beta testing isn't for everyone, no matter how cool it may seem to be on the bleeding edge of software. Bottom line: don't load iOS 6 if you aren't prepared for hours of frustration.Let's get started with loading iOS 6. You'll need to be running iTunes 10.6.3, which was released shortly after the keynote speech. You'll also need the iOS 6 beta file or files for your respective device or devices. All of the files are available in the developer center for registered developers.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETConnect and back up your device using iTunes. Restoring from an iCloud backup is possible with iOS 6, but I wouldn't recommend it. This is a beta; things go wrong. Make sure you encrypt the local backup, as doing so saves you from having to enter account passwords and the like after a restore.Hold down Option on your Mac keyboard and click on Restore.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETOnce the backup is complete, hold down Option on your keyboard and click on Restore.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETSelect the matching IPSW file for the device you are loading iOS 6 on.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETiTunes will then extract the software and install it on your iOS device. You'll see your device reboot a few times and the screen will flash some different graphics during the install process. The entire installation should take about 10 minutes. But don't be alarmed if it does take longer, just be patient.After the installation is finished, restore your device from the backup you created in step 1. You should then have iOS 6, complete with your apps and information, up and running on your iOS device. If you have any issues, the Apple Developer Forums are a great place to start looking for help.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
During the WWDC keynote, Apple demoed several of the new features in iOS 6, including Facebook integration, the new Maps app, turn-by-turn directions, a "Do Not Disturb" feature for when you don't want to answer your phone, and several enhancements that make Siri "smarter." In total, iOS 6 brings more than 200 new features over iOS 5 and, with today's announcement, tons of app developers are flocking to Apple's iOS Dev Center to download the beta.Related storiesComplete WWDC 2012 coverageApple's WWDC news: New MacBook Pros, iOS 6, upgraded SiriFirst take: MacBook Pro with Retina DisplayApple unveils iOS 6 with 200 new features, Siri gets updateApple's WWDC keynote: What we didn't getBefore you can even think about installing the iOS 6 beta you'll need to have an iOS developer account, or know someone who has an iOS developer account. The iOS developer program costs $99 per year for individuals and $299 for companies wishing to develop iOS apps. Next, you'll need to make sure the UDID of the iOS device or devices you wish to test on are registered with the iOS developer program, thus making your device eligible to install beta iOS software from Apple on. Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that this software is intended for developers who are working on creating or updating apps. If you load iOS 6 beta you'll have horrible battery life, some features flat-out won't work, and the overall experience will be trying at times. And there is no easy way to revert your device to running iOS 5 once you have loaded iOS 6 on it. Beta testing isn't for everyone, no matter how cool it may seem to be on the bleeding edge of software. Bottom line: don't load iOS 6 if you aren't prepared for hours of frustration.Let's get started with loading iOS 6. You'll need to be running iTunes 10.6.3, which was released shortly after the keynote speech. You'll also need the iOS 6 beta file or files for your respective device or devices. All of the files are available in the developer center for registered developers.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETConnect and back up your device using iTunes. Restoring from an iCloud backup is possible with iOS 6, but I wouldn't recommend it. This is a beta; things go wrong. Make sure you encrypt the local backup, as doing so saves you from having to enter account passwords and the like after a restore.Hold down Option on your Mac keyboard and click on Restore.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETOnce the backup is complete, hold down Option on your keyboard and click on Restore.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETSelect the matching IPSW file for the device you are loading iOS 6 on.Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNETiTunes will then extract the software and install it on your iOS device. You'll see your device reboot a few times and the screen will flash some different graphics during the install process. The entire installation should take about 10 minutes. But don't be alarmed if it does take longer, just be patient.After the installation is finished, restore your device from the backup you created in step 1. You should then have iOS 6, complete with your apps and information, up and running on your iOS device. If you have any issues, the Apple Developer Forums are a great place to start looking for help.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Amazon to launch auto rip, an effort to sex up CDs
Amazon to launch auto rip, an effort to sex up CDs
Update January 10 at 6:10 a.m. PT: Amazon has now introduced its AutoRip service.)LAS VEGAS -- The compact disc has long been left for dead by most tech-savvy music fans, but Amazon apparently still sees some life left in the format.Amazon managers are expected to announce soon that CD buyers from now on will automatically receive copies of the same tracks stored in their Amazon cloud, free of charge, multiple sources with knowledge of the plan told CNET. The cloud-stored tunes can then be accessed from Web-enabled devices. The feature is being referred to internally as "auto rip," but the sources cautioned that the name could change. An Amazon representative wasn't immediately available. I'll update as soon as I hear back from the company. Related storiesDOJ, schools settle over Kindle's blind accessThe Amazon.com of potAmazon expands Kindle self-publishing worldwideWhat's the difference: Dynamic vs. lossy audio compression?Fingers-on with Stantum's touch-screen Dell tablet prototypeThis is the most significant initiative involving the CD in years, but try this one on: Amazon may also decide to store songs from past CD purchases free of charge, according to the sources. That could represent a lot of music. A decade ago, before iTunes launched, it was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who was king of online music sales. This was in the days when purchasing Web music meant ordering a CD, back before downloading songs became popular.Amazon's strategy is similar to what Hollywood has done in the past year. Five of the six top film studios are trying to breathe life into DVD and Blu-ray discs with an effort they call UltraViolet. A consortium of studios, hardware and software companies teamed together to develop standards for distributing movies in the cloud. The group seeks to make movies purchased off the Web compatible with any device or service in the hope of enticing people to buy and collect these movies the same way as DVDs. One of the ways UV backers are trying to generate interest is by rewarding disc buyers with access to a cloud-stored copies of their films. The entertainment industry hasn't given up on physical media and there's a good reason for that. Lots of people still buy discs. According to 2012 music sales compiled by research firm Nielsen Soundscan, the CD is still the dominant music format. Still, the CD is definitely in decline -- sales fell 12.8 percent last year while digital album sales increased 14 percent and digital tracks rose 5 percent. CDs and DVDs certainly do not represent the future.But Amazon, which is well back of Apple's iTunes in music sales, will be able to tell the large number of consumers who still prefer their music on disc that they're getting more value for their money, and this could help the retailer take a larger share of that business. It's a smart move.
Update January 10 at 6:10 a.m. PT: Amazon has now introduced its AutoRip service.)LAS VEGAS -- The compact disc has long been left for dead by most tech-savvy music fans, but Amazon apparently still sees some life left in the format.Amazon managers are expected to announce soon that CD buyers from now on will automatically receive copies of the same tracks stored in their Amazon cloud, free of charge, multiple sources with knowledge of the plan told CNET. The cloud-stored tunes can then be accessed from Web-enabled devices. The feature is being referred to internally as "auto rip," but the sources cautioned that the name could change. An Amazon representative wasn't immediately available. I'll update as soon as I hear back from the company. Related storiesDOJ, schools settle over Kindle's blind accessThe Amazon.com of potAmazon expands Kindle self-publishing worldwideWhat's the difference: Dynamic vs. lossy audio compression?Fingers-on with Stantum's touch-screen Dell tablet prototypeThis is the most significant initiative involving the CD in years, but try this one on: Amazon may also decide to store songs from past CD purchases free of charge, according to the sources. That could represent a lot of music. A decade ago, before iTunes launched, it was Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who was king of online music sales. This was in the days when purchasing Web music meant ordering a CD, back before downloading songs became popular.Amazon's strategy is similar to what Hollywood has done in the past year. Five of the six top film studios are trying to breathe life into DVD and Blu-ray discs with an effort they call UltraViolet. A consortium of studios, hardware and software companies teamed together to develop standards for distributing movies in the cloud. The group seeks to make movies purchased off the Web compatible with any device or service in the hope of enticing people to buy and collect these movies the same way as DVDs. One of the ways UV backers are trying to generate interest is by rewarding disc buyers with access to a cloud-stored copies of their films. The entertainment industry hasn't given up on physical media and there's a good reason for that. Lots of people still buy discs. According to 2012 music sales compiled by research firm Nielsen Soundscan, the CD is still the dominant music format. Still, the CD is definitely in decline -- sales fell 12.8 percent last year while digital album sales increased 14 percent and digital tracks rose 5 percent. CDs and DVDs certainly do not represent the future.But Amazon, which is well back of Apple's iTunes in music sales, will be able to tell the large number of consumers who still prefer their music on disc that they're getting more value for their money, and this could help the retailer take a larger share of that business. It's a smart move.
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