sigh, microsoft wins one

[twowheeler]

So, my daughter gets a new cell phone, and is excited that it plays mp3 songs and takes a SD memory chip. Very cool, I say, I will show you how to copy mp3s to the SD. I have a usb adapter for a SD.

I plug the memory into the usb port and an icon pops up on my breezy desktop. See, you just drag and drop song files into the memory chip to save them. But when we try it on the phone, the phone will not recognize the files. Hmm.

She goes off to call the store. They say, you have to rip your cds in windows media player 10, and it will store them on the memory chip. Too late, I am getting suspicious. Wait, I say, I thought that it would play mp3s???

I search the web and find the story. Connecting to WMP10 changes the default media type to .wma. Apparently this is verizon's deal with MS.

So she goes off to start loading up the memory with songs. Of course they are saved in .wma format. She is happy and says, this is better than an ipod cause it was free with my phone. I say, what happened to the mp3s I saved on the SD? --I deleted them cause they were in the wrong format, she says. Ah, of course. I explain that you can enter a code in the phone to unlock the mp3 capability but she is not interested.

So it is clearer now. The phone (LG VX8100) is designed to lock people into MS DRM as opposed to Apples's DRM. I suppose one is not better than the other from a user rights perspective. I should not have expected anything else -- this is MS's attempt at an iPod killer, which I ended up paying for. #-o

Of course this is the standard microsoft MO -- arrive late to a profitable market, bundle proprietary software into the windows desktop, co-opt major hardware manufacturers with market power, and lock users in. Goodbye competitors.

Thanks for listening, I just had to share.

[disturbed1]

I'd take the phone back ;)

But I know that it would be nearly impossible to get away from your daughter.

You could always unlock the mp3 support, put some high quality mp3 encodes on there to show your daughter the sound quality improvement between mp3 the really low bitrate wma's you accedently on purpose encoded in lower quality :)

[PingunZ]

Just wondering, what type of phone
](*,) Stupid F*cking microsoft

[Brunellus]

Just wondering, what type of phone
](*,) Stupid F*cking microsoft
No. Very Very VERY smart Microsoft. the future is in 'rights management' and vendor-dependence, and if they play their cards right, they will retain their dominant position in the industry. Good for business, bad for users--but who cares, so long as people can listen to their pop tunes on their phones?

[twowheeler]

No. Very Very VERY smart Microsoft. the future is in 'rights management' and vendor-dependence, and if they play their cards right, they will retain their dominant position in the industry. Good for business, bad for users--but who cares, so long as people can listen to their pop tunes on their phones?

I absolutely agree, this is how the game is played these days, and they play it very well. As long as the law allows it, they would be crazy not to.

Again, the comparison to an iPod is interesting. With the iPod, you know you are buying proprietary hardware and software with Apple's DRM, but at least there is no question about being able to fill it up with non-DRMed mp3s. With this phone, they advertise an mp3 ability but then the people in the store are obviously trained to say -- just use WMP10, its so easy. Then the software tries to keep you from using mp3s, unless you know the secret code. The bait and switch aspect really irks me.

It just confirms my belief in open standards and open source, where there are no secrets.

[rai4shu2]

I explain that you can enter a code in the phone to unlock the mp3 capability but she is not interested.

I think I've figured out the source of your problem. :-\"

[prizrak]

Is there a way to unlock OGG and FLAC support on the phone?

[Jasper Houtman]

Perl audio convertor (http://sourceforge.net/projects/pacpl)

Linux program capable of converting MP3 to WMA (and a lot of other formats)

Should solve your problem :)

[twowheeler]

I think I've figured out the source of your problem. :-\"

ha ha well ok you got me there. :)

[RAV TUX]

Microsoft may beat Apple out with this venture: including the release today of Windows Media Player 11 beta integrated with MTV URGE, URGE is set up like itunes .99 cents a song or $9something for the album and they throw in one that Apple doesn't have unlimited downloads for a monthly service fee.

well you might say Apple has ipod. how long do you think the novelty of carrying an ipod and a cell phone will last?...about as long as the sony walkman did. Ipods will one day be a nice museum piece as intelligent people opt for one device. The cell phone, they already have to carry the damn thing, might as well have fun with it, take pictures, play games, listen to music. So it makes sense Verizon cell phones are the new ipod. This means of course to compete Apple will have to come out with an ipod cellphone with a digital camera to stay around.

[G Morgan]

I always find Mobile Phone based extras to be cheap and tacky. I always carry a seperate player and phone, I want my phone to be a phone first and a phone last and do that job well. I have a PDA and a MP3 player and I'm happy as it stands.

It's the same standing I have on printers that try to do everything. I always find their quality to be inferior so have never bought one myself.

[mrcowcow]

It is too bad that that phone doesnt support mp3s. My ner phone (Motorola V360) has a built in mp3 player and plays mp3s, which is awesome. I have no idea if it works with Ubuntu or not, since I dont have it on my desktop yet, but it is nice to not be locked into Microsoft's digital media format. This makes me glad that I didnt end up with phone service from Verzion, because that was the phone I would have gotten. But if you can, return the phone and get one that supports mp3s, although Verzion may have crippled mp3 support on all their phones.

[jason.b.c]

I search the web and find the story. Connecting to WMP10 changes the default media type to .wma. Apparently this is verizon's deal with MS.

So she goes off to start loading up the memory with songs. Of course they are saved in .wma format. She is happy and says, this is better than an ipod cause it was free with my phone. I say, what happened to the mp3s I saved on the SD? --I deleted them cause they were in the wrong format, she says. Ah, of course. I explain that you can enter a code in the phone to unlock the mp3 capability but she is not interested.

WAIT , So you mean to tell me that you can't just change the ending of file ( in other words , the file name ) to .WMA..???? , before you Drag and Drop..

Can that be done..??

[RAV TUX]

I always find Mobile Phone based extras to be cheap and tacky. I always carry a seperate player and phone, I want my phone to be a phone first and a phone last and do that job well. I have a PDA and a MP3 player and I'm happy as it stands.

It's the same standing I have on printers that try to do everything. I always find their quality to be inferior so have never bought one myself.
I bought two all-in-printers for my work and I will convert all the printers eventually. This is the way of the future. Most people say they won't change because they already have the multiple different products in there hands and they can't justify buying an all-in-one.

But it only makes sense.

The Motorola Sliver is damn nice and it is a phone/digicam/music player.

I would consider buying one if I wanted such a device. I personally have no use for a portable music player of any kind, I carry one device a phone that is just a phone, but I am not like the masses, and it sounds like neither are you that is why we are both posting in a Ubuntu forum. What we feel is not like what the masses are like.

[morticul]

No. Very Very VERY smart Microsoft. the future is in 'rights management' and vendor-dependence ....

yeah... what a deception... look at this !

http://www.captaincopyright.ca/

This ain't a joke. They are serious.

[G Morgan]

I bought two all-in-printers for my work and I will convert all the printers eventually. This is the way of the future. Most people say they won't change because they already have the multiple different products in there hands and they can't justify buying an all-in-one.

But it only makes sense.

The Motorola Sliver is damn nice and it is a phone/digicam/music player.

I would consider buying one if I wanted such a device. I personally have no use for a portable music player of any kind, I carry one device a phone that is just a phone, but I am not like the masses, and it sounds like neither are you that is why we are both posting in a Ubuntu forum. What we feel is not like what the masses are like.

Thats fine, I thought you were suggesting that a mixed purpose product can be as good as buying seperate products in terms of quality. Personally I have 2 printers, a colour inkjet and a monochrome laser. Prints first and prints last the both of them. No worries about other parts breaking bringing the whole printer down, gives good quality while most combi's give bog standard everything.

Anyway I'd say the expense of seperate products can be justified if your after the utmost quality and have the space to spare.

[prizrak]

Some all in one products are extremely high quality. However those tend to be extremely expensive the stuff for regular users tend to suck.

[DirtDawg]

yeah... what a deception... look at this !

http://www.captaincopyright.ca/

This ain't a joke. They are serious.

=D> That's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! Hilarious. =D>

[twowheeler]

WAIT , So you mean to tell me that you can't just change the ending of file ( in other words , the file name ) to .WMA..???? , before you Drag and Drop..

Can that be done..??

No, the file formats themselves are totally different. See the wiki at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Media_Audio

[B0rsuk]

Excuse me, but apple's lockin is in a way better than Microsoft's. By supporting Apple, you end up with two locked formats. By supporting Ms, you promote only one.

I don't like both, but having two Microsofts is better than one. Competition is good.

[DoctorMO]

I'd like to bork them both, down with non standard DRM formats!

Now where is that multi media standards body, sort of like the w3c for the tv?

[ubuntu27]

yeah... what a deception... look at this !

http://www.captaincopyright.ca/

This ain't a joke. They are serious.

Nice Find.

Here is another comic book:

Tales from the Public Domain:
BOUND BY LAW? (http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/)


And some Article:


Intellectual Property Issues (http://www.negativland.com/intprop.html)

[bionnaki]

I dont see what the big deal is...

either unlock the phone
or
simply convert mp3 to wma in ubuntu.

[graabein]

Yeah that is the short sighted immediate solution but you understand that people are discussing the big picture and principle, right?

[DirtDawg]

Nice Find.

Here is another comic book:

Tales from the Public Domain:
BOUND BY LAW? (http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/)


And some Article:


Intellectual Property Issues (http://www.negativland.com/intprop.html)

Again incredible. They must have paid the fifteen-year-old who drew that a whole twenty bucks! I wonder what William Gaines would say?