Coming Soon: Napster II: The Undead
Napster may rise from the dead and live again, this time as a commercial venture.
Comments Retired, Letters Welcome: We’re All Ears
Dear readers,
Thank you for being an engaged part of the Stereophile community. We have retired the in-page commenting feature on our website, but we still want to hear from you.
Please email your thoughts, questions, and system notes to: STletters@stereophile.com
Selected letters will continue to appear in the magazine and online. Your feedback shapes our reporting and reviews. We appreciate every note you send.
—The Stereophile team
Common CD Compatibility Complaint Conquered?
Recently, the Optical">www.osta.org">Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) announced the release of a new CD compatibility specification called "MultiPlay"">www.osta.org/multiplay">MultiPlay" for the computer and consumer electronics industries. OSTA says that the new specification is intended to ensure that Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) and Compact Disc ReWritable (CD-RW) discs created on personal computers can also be played in consumer CD and DVD players.
Company Introduces the first Artificial Intelligence Beatle
Need proof that baby boomers and their attendant interests are having an effect on the frontiers of computer research? Look no further than Triumph PC Online's announcement that it has introduced The">http://www.triumphpc.com/john-lennon">The John Lennon Artificial Intelligence Project (JLAIP), the first AI-based clone of the late Beatle. The project, initially titled The Plastic Digital Karma Project, has been under development for two years.
Compression 101
We were taking our morning constitutional around the Interwebs one day last week when we happened upon an article on Timesonline titled "Why">http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music… Music Really Is Getting Louder". Oh boy, we thought, a mainstream outlet is catching on to the whole issue of dynamic compression—a subject we have inveighed against repeatedly over the years. (JA first preached that particular sermon back in 1999http://stereophile.com/asweseeit/177/">1999;.)
CompUSA Moves Into Consumer Electronics
Consumer electronics stores have long carried computer gear, everything from laptops and desktop systems to software and accessories. Computer stores, led by Gateway Country stores, have slowly been moving in the other direction. Now it looks as if convergence in the retail realm is about to take another great leap forward.
Computer Audio News from MusicMatch, Xing, and Philips
In an effort to make computers more useful as audio systems, MusicMatchhttp://www.musicmatch.com">MusicMatch; and Xing">http://www.xingtech.com/">Xing Technology recently announced MusicMatch Jukebox, a digital audio management software program for the consumer market.
Computer Audio Seminars in Canada This Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12: Fillion Électronique will host seminars on the fundamentals of computer audio, with specific focuses on digital-audio file formats and networking strategies. Saturday's seminar will begin at 10am and will be held at Fillion's Laval location (2323 Laurentides Highway), while Sunday's seminar will begin at noon and will be held at Fillion's Montréal location (5690 Sherbrooke East).
Computer Playback Symposium Coming Up
The most comprehensive seminars ever devoted to high quality computer-based playback in the home will take place at the fabled headquarters of Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA the last weekend of June. Entitled Computer">http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Computer-Audiophile-Symposium… Audiophile Symposium: From Performance to Playback, the two "identical" seminars are scheduled for Saturday, June 27 from 3–7pm, and Sunday, June 28, from noon–4pm. Admission to each seminar is $279.00.
Concord Buys Telarc
On December 19, the Concord Music Group announced its acquisition of Telarc International Corporation, which includes the venerable audiophile label Telarc and the instrumental jazz and world music label Heads Up. Concord already owned many formerly independent labels such as Peak, Playboy Jazz, Stretch, and Concord Picante; in 2004, it acquired Fantasy Records, which encompassed Milestone, Pablo, Prestige/New Jazz, Riverside/Jazzland, Stax/Volt/Enterprise, Specialty, Takoma, and others.