The end of the CD

For those of you who like music, Mark Cuban over at BlogMaverick has an amazing post on the evolution of the music industry. If you enjoy music, the next stop for you is to get an ipod like device.

Then it occured to me, that I haven’t used my CD Player, portable or at home, in a long, long time. That I rarely, if ever see anyone walking around with a portable CD player anymore. They have all been replaced by MP3 players. If everyone is switching to MP3 players, whether they are Ipods, in phones, in PDAs, in cars, whatever, then that means that everyone is going to have to go through a multistep process in order to get the music from where or how they buy it, to the place they want it.

That’s not good for the people selling music. Particularly retail stores. Think about it. Apple has done such a great job of selling us on why we should store our musically digitally, that every one is either doing it, or on their way to doing it. Which means that 90 pct or more of music being sold is currently being sold on a physical format that the segment of the music buying public that spends the most amount of money on music doesn’t want. They are being sold CDs. They want to listen to their music from hard drives or flash drives. That’s a problem.

…

For less than 10k dollars, it would be EASY to put together a multi-terrabyte hard drive based multi-user kiosk that pretty much holds every song ever published. A screen to enter credit card information, swipe a debit card, enter a member number or call for assistance to handle a cash transaction, a couple USB ports, and wireless connection support to transfer the music, and you are in business. Check the music I want. From kiosk hard drive to my MP3 player at speeds that could easily do 400mbs. That beats the hell out of 250k if I’m lucky real throughput at home. It will be like going to the store to get digital prints from the camera is. Self Service, fast and easy

Loss leaders like Walmart and Best Buy can cut their music square footage by 90 pct and sell more music at lower prices. Their inventory carrying costs will go to zero. If someone wants the CD, they can go home and burn it after docking their MP3 player to their PC. Believe or not, the labels will make more money this way because they will make these big boys committ to minimum guarantees at levels they are at now, and all that money after the artist cut, will go to the bottomline.

We have been listening to music all week while we have been on vacation. It has all been via mp3. Read the rest of thepost. He makes great sense and knows the industry very well.

We are going to BlogNashville, are you?

A collection of some of the top bloggers in the southeast is going to include the 2 guys from scaredmonkeys.com

Blog Nashville is scheduled for May 7th, 2005 at Belmont University, a stones throw from downtown Nashville.

We are excited to have the opportunity to learn from some of the best, meet some people we have read and admired from afar, and enjoy the beauty of
Nashville.

If you are not planning on going yet, I urge you to consider it.

Seriously, look at this list of people attending. I know I am proud to have my name on this list.

Now look at these seminars. How could you pass this opportunity up.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, Tomahawk, this means you too.

Google Googling Urchin Software Corp

Google acquire Urchin Software Corp., which makes software to help companies analyze the traffic at their Web sites. This product will certainly aid in advertising returns.

better understand their users’ experiences and track the performance of advertisements and other aspects of visits to Web sites

The full press release can be found here. Urchin Software products can be seen here.

Wouldn’t it be nice to read, Microsoft tells EU to sod off.

AP

EU Threatens Microsoft With New Fines Over Compliance With Ruling

By Raf Casert Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – The European Union threatened Microsoft Corp. on Friday with new fines if the software company does not make it easier for competitors to see the blueprints of its server software and less expensive for them to use it.
After hearing from Microsoft’s rivals, the EU’s antitrust office found that the system the company had set up to improve the interoperability between its Windows server and other software companies was insufficient.

“Based on the market tests, it doesn’t seem to be working at all,” said Jonathan Todd, the spokesman for the EU’s antitrust office.

EU antitrust regulators fined Microsoft a record $665 million when they ruled last March that Microsoft abusively wielded its Windows software monopoly and locked competitors out of the market.

Imagine if Microsoft went to every one who bought their software in the EU and said, your correct, we are a bad company and not worthy to do business with any EU countries. We do not want your business anymore, here is a refund and we are revoking everyones license. The EU bureaucrats would be up in arms, and it would automatically make those countries not nearly as competitive as the rest of the world.

Yet these same bureaucrats are constantly nitpicking Microsoft. The lessons that the Clinton administration are well learned. Here is a company that has revolutionized computing, industry, business, and commerce with its software. Sure they are not perfect, but at the same time Microsoft is a DAMN GOOD COMPANY!!!

The EU countries with their inefficient and selfish socialistic work rules are running themselves down to the point that 50 years from now they will be subservient to the Middle East. They also act like 5 year olds, “If I can not have it, nobody can!!!”

The EU gets my loser of the week award.

Internet Scams You Want to Avoid

The INTERNET is the greatest network of networks of information ever invented. I look back at my high school days and scare myself with “programing in Basic”. I look back and think how easy college would have been and that most all research for my thesis could have been done from the friendly confines of my room. The ability to communicate through email, IM, VOIP is amazing.

Of course with all that is good comes also the bad. Here are the Top 5 Internet scams you want to avoid like the plague.

1. Auction Fraud
2. Phishing Scams
3. Nigerian 419 Letter
4. Postal Forwarding/Reshipping Scam
5. “Congratulations, You’ve Won an Xbox (news – web sites) (IPod, plasma TV, etc.)”

A rule of thumb for your safety: Act as if every mysterious email or offer is the same as going into a strangers home with no lights on or asked to get into a car with a stranger. Everyone is not kind and do not have the best of intentions. The dark side of the INTERNET pray on people’s good nature and kindness. Use common sense. On a personal note, please stop sending the Nigerian letter. My fingers are getting sore from hitting delete.