@methodshop

Back in 1999, before the Internet bubble had burst, Shockwave.com needed big name talent to create original content for their site. So they handed a $2 million dollar check to "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and gave them full control to create an original Internet cartoon. Perhaps givng Parker and Stone, the creators of Cannibal The Musical, Orgazmo, and Team America, wasn't such a good idea. Shockwave never released the cartoons.



"Shocked, TRIO's 30-minute original documentary, is a parable of the dot.com age. It reveals the story behind South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone's foray into the world of Internet entertainment. In 1999, burgeoning online entertainment company Shockwave.com, on the verge of going public, commissioned high profile talent to supply content. The company sought out Parker and Stone, and promised them full creative control to create 39 original animated shorts. The result was "Princess." Drawn in the style of a pre-school children's cartoon, "Princess" is about a lap dog who observes the adult -- sometimes very "adult" -- world around her. The sexual content was so extreme that production on the "webisodes" was halted early on and have never been seen in any medium." [Via trioplus.tv]



You can watch Shocked at http://www.trioplus.tv

The Craze That Lasts



With Apple's recent Keynote speech and it's unveiling of the iPod Shuffle, Steve Jobs brought about something else with this release to the iPod product line that may/may not have struck fear into the hearts of third party accessory developers.



With the iPod accessory business larger than anyone could have ever foreseen, will company's little and big that currently profit from creating these add-ons for the iPod suffer or flourish? It depends, the circumstances vary, but one thing will be certain: Better quality for users.



With Apple's new "Made for iPod" program, Apple will control the manufacturing of its player’s accessories by approving a quality third party add-on for its different and mainstream music players. This will ultimately assure buyers they are not buying or letdown by performance of these player add-ons. Overall, this will benefit the consumer and Apple to assure customers keep buying from Apple and the accessory manufacturers.

Brie's been singing, writing, and acting since she was 7 years old and is ready to showcase her grown-up talent. Her debut album Finally Out of P.E. mixes pop, rock, and dance elements in a style that draws comparisons to Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff. The album debuts March 22, but you can get a early start on Brie-mania with this week's free Out of the Box download "She Said".



Download the free song here:

Are you on iTunes yet? If you're not, you might soon be in a category by yourself. Today Apple reported that its online music store, iTunes, has completely blown away all other competition. Since launching the iTunes Music Store, Apple has sold over 250 million songs. But Apple has taken this success global. Once limited to only the USA, the iTMS is now available in 15 countries. As a result of this global expansion, Apple now sells over one million legal songs per day at 99 cents each.



But even at a million songs a day, how much of the legal download market does iTunes control? "According to research firm NPD Group, music sold from iTunes accounts up to 70% of legal music sold between December 2003 and July 2004. The tremendous success of this online music store is attributed to the immense popularity of Apple's iPod. If and when the service increases coverage further still into other Countries and markets the figure is set to increase again." (Source: EarthTimes.org).



With Napster clearly losing the online music battle to Apple, this is what Napster CEO Chris Gorog had to say, "We're unconcerned about the installed base of iPod users... Our primary market is people who have not yet entered the digital music market. As soon as Napster2Go (which allows Napster subscribers to transfer their music to portable devices) is released, their market share is going to go down." (Source: hindustantimes.com).



Curiously Apple has chosen to stay out of the portable video market. Their widely anticipated iPod Photo was rumored to have video capabilities. But disappointingly only added photo functionality. It's doubtful that Apple can survive in this market with a music only offering. Let's hope they have something big up their sleeve for the next iPod.

Skin Your Mac Mini



Your Apple Mac Mini is cool. But unlike the iPod, where Apple lets you engrave a message on the back, the Mac Mini comes as is....Until Now!! Enter YOURart. A company that will take your company logo, your favorite sports team, a picture of your kid...and use "special adhesive foils over your Mac Mini to create a brilliant effect, bringing your technology to life."

Apparently both the East and West coasts were seeing white this weekend in the United States. While the East coast was buried under 2 feet of snow, the West coast was desperately after Apple's new iPod Shuffle and Mac Mini. Hundreds of customers were waiting outside the downtown San Francisco Apple Store. But many early bird shoppers left disappointed as the new iPods sold out within minutes.

"Lecy Brito said she had been waiting since 7:00 a.m. for the San Francisco Apple Store to open, hoping to buy an iPod Shuffle. "I enjoy music and the smaller thing is right for my kind of work," she said, "and it's easy to hang it from my neck."



Brito was representative of most of those in line, who were waiting to buy an iPod Shuffle. Of the people MacCentral queried, almost all were hoping to purchase Apple's newest MP3 player. However, those waiting solely for an iPod Shuffle were turned away empty-handed, as the store was completely sold out." [Via MacWorld.com]

Residents in the United States who prefer not to wait in line can purchase the iPod Shuffle or the Mac Mini from Amazon.com.

This Florida native began learning classical piano when she was only 7 and has taken her classically-trained ear and turned it on the pop world. Aslyn's full album Lemon Love will be on iTunes in March, but you can get a taste of what's to come with her free iTunes single "Be the Girl."



Download the free song here:

Are you enamored by the iPod's elegant design and utility, yet put off by its mediocre sound? Does your music require the volume being set at 70% or greater just to get FULL sound?



Introducing the first external amplifier designed specifically for the iPod.



Simpl Acoustic's A1 is a powered amplifier that removes distortion from high impedence headphones. Essentially you can listen to your iPod music at a lower volume setting, which is externally boosted by the A1. This ultimately saves iPod battery life and makes those omnipresent white earbuds sound better!



The A1 backpacks onto the iPod and connects to the iPod via its headphone jack. Headphones are plugged into the A1, which contains only an operating LED and power button. Volume is controlled by the iPod and the manufacturers liberally advise the user to turn DOWN the volume all the way before turning ON the A1. It can literally blow out an ear drum if not properly used!

FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell, who opposed tight regulation of telecommunications but backed unprecedented fines against broadcast indecency, announced today he is resigning.



While tackling complex issue ranging from telephone competition to rules for media ownership, Powell is perhaps best known for overseeing a dramatic crackdown on broadcast indecency that began before the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" during singer Janet Jackson's Super Bowl halftime performance last February.



The FCC received more than 1 million indecency complaints in 2004, most of them involving Jackson. CBS is contesting a proposed FCC fine of $550,000 for the incident.



Fines for indecent programming exceeded $7.7 million last year, a huge increase from the $48,000 imposed the year before Powell became chairman. Powell has praised the record fines, saying the commission was "wielding our sword" to protect children and viewers who object to racy programming.



"It's the most uncomfortable area you'd ever want to work in, enforcement," Powell said of indecency fines at a July 2004 symposium. "I'm a big believer in the First Amendment, but often I'm incredibly uneasy about lines we have to draw. No one takes pleasure in trying to decide whether this potty-mouth word or that potty-mouth word is a violation of the law."



No show produced more FCC fines than that of raunchy radio personality Howard Stern, who last October confronted Powell in a surprise phone call while the FCC chairman was a guest on KGO-AM radio in San Francisco.



Stern accused Powell of using the FCC to stifle free speech on radio and TV and contended Powell got the job because of his family name. [Via Yahoo News]



Powell screwed the entire industry. His depature from the FCC comes a little late. One of the hottest holiday gifts this year was a SIRIUS satellite radio. AM/FM radio is dead.

Each month DJ Winta (aka Big Young) releases a new STREET OFFICIAL MIXTAPE comprised of Hip/Hop music sold in the iTunes Music Store. The 25 minute mix track is a free download for all iTunes users.



This month's mix features: NAS, Xzibit, Pete Rock, The Game, and KRS-One to name a few. You can download the free January 2004 Mixtape Volume #3 here.

"Preparing the cadaver... The challenge is trying to figure out the first step in disassembling the object. As is expected with Apple, every detail of this design has been thought through and there are no visible cues as to how the casing comes apart." [Via AppleMatters.com]



Grab an Xacto knife and turn on those fluorescent basement lights. It's autopsy time!

The iPod Shuffle is pretty tempting - even if you already own an iPod. But before you break down and buy a new iPod Shuffle, consider mhusson's low tech method.



"The marketing guys over at Apple seem to be really pumping up the "never know whats gonna play next" randomness of the new iPod Shuffle... I thought I'd put up my guide on how to give any regular iPod the cool new feature of the iPod Shuffle."



1. Get a Post-It note

2. Get your iPod

3. Put the Post-It note on the iPod



However, if you are still itching to get a new iPod Shuffle, buy one from Amazon.com and not Apple. Amazon is offering cash back discounts on all electronics $150 and higher and free shipping!



It makes buying a second iPod a little easier. Or the iPod Shuffle Dock is free once you factor in the discount..

Dan Tureck, the evil genius behind the iPod vs Cassette photo essay, has done it again. While Steve Jobs and company were all in San Francisco at MacWorld, he and a friend went late night dumpster diving at Apple Computer's HQ in Cupertino.

You will never guess what they found. Apparently Apple's iTunes deal with Motorola wasn't their first attempt to break into the telecom business. It looks like the "Dumpster Gang" found an early prototype of the iPhone as well as a few iPod rejects.

Check out all the pictures from the dumpster dive.

About Mr. Tureck: "I live in Wilmington, NC where I work on films and commercials as a camera assistant. When I'm unemployed (I think 'between jobs' sounds better) my time is spent making short films and web pages."

If you can't wait to see it on TV, Apple has posted a commercial for the new iPod Shuffle on Apple.com. The commercial features the song "Jerk It Out" by The Caesars and black silhouette dancers on a solid green background.

---

iPod Shuffle Review:
Time to mix things up. Meet iPod shuffle, the unpredictable new iPod. What will it play next? Can it read your mind? Can it read your moods? Load it up. Put it on. See where it takes you.

iPod Shuffle Pros:

1. Price - The iPod Shuffle is cheaper than most flash-based MP3 players having the same amount of memory.
2. The famous iPod elegance and simplicity - all iPods are designed so well, are easy to learn and a joy to use.
   
3. Size/weight - even compared to other flash-based players, the iPod Shuffle is small and very, very light.
   
4. Plays AAC files - This is the real selling point for people who already own iPods and have a substantial library of music already in AAC format. You might not feel too comfortable bringing your $300, 6-ounce iPod to the gym, with its delicate hard drive and other moving parts. Now you can load 6 or more workouts' worth of tunes onto a device that weighs less than 1 ounce and has no moving parts. While there are many such flash-based players on the market, the iPod Shuffle is the only one that can play tunes from your existing collection of iPod-friendly AAC files.
   
5. Amazing sound quality for such a tiny device. Careful A/B comparisons between the iPod Shuffle and and its bigger iPod brother (which already has awesome sound quality), and it's extremely hard to detect any difference in sound quality.
   

iPod Shuffle Cons:

1. The iPod Shuffle lacks a LCD display to help you navigate among the songs on the player. This may be a deal-killer for many people who would otherwise buy an iPod Shuffle in a heart-beat. For example, let's say you load 100 songs on your iPod Shuffle. Once you unplug it from your computer, the only way you have to navigate to a specific song is to keep forwarding to the next song until you find the one you want. Is this a pain or part of the fun? Those clever Apple marketing folks have tried to put a positive spin on this by using the motto "Random is the new order" and even by just adding the word "shuffle" to the products name. But people aren't stupid. Anyone familiar with flash-based players knows that almost all of them have displays to help people quickly navigate among the tunes on their player. While the screens on some players are tiny and almost illegible, many other players have highly readable and useful displays (e.g. the iRiver MP3 players).
2. No FM tuner or voice recorder. Many other flash-based MP3 players have these features (though none as inexpensive or small as the iPod Shuffle).
3. Battery life rated at "up to 12 hours" is low for flash-based MP3 players. Competitors typically achieve 15-20 hours. However, to be fair to the iPod Shuffle, the competing models usually require you to use AA or AAA batteries, which adds to the weight of the device.
   

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Despite its name, the iPod Shuffle does not force you to listen to your tunes in random order. Using the iTunes software on your computer, it's easy to create a playlist or download specific songs you choose to your iPod Shuffle, and then listen to them in order.

If you're not familiar with the iTunes software, it is very well-designed and easy to use. iTunes is also the portal to Apple's website that sells music downloads, but the iTunes software does NOT push you to visit the store or buy anything.

There are two ways to charge the iPod Shuffle's battery - you can plug it into your computer's USB port, or you can use an external adapter, which is not included in the price. So if you plan on taking your iPod Shuffle on a trip, but won't have a computer, then you'll probably need to factor the cost of the adapter into your purchase decision. Or you could just make a visit to the local electronics store and plug it into a display computer with a USB port. If you are desperate, you could even ask someone at your hotel's front desk to plug it into their computer for a quick charge.

After spending a little time with an iPod Shuffle, you will adapt to the lack of display and really not really miss it. The simplicity of the iPod Shuffle is even more appreciated when compared to other MP3 players. Competitors like iRiver offer extra features in their products, but accessing many of these features is very awkward, especially if you don't use them very much.

"Watch Apple CEO Steve Jobs deliver the Macworld Expo keynote address from Moscone Center in San Francisco. See the video-on-demand webcast right here exclusively in QuickTime and MPEG-4." [Via Apple.com]



View the keynote in its entirety here.

Here are the 2 big highlights of what was announced today at MacWorld:

1. iPod Shuffle: New tiny iPod (smaller than most packs of gum), no screen, weighs under 1 ounce. Cap on the bottom, USB 2. 12 hour rechargeable battery. PC/Mac. Looks about the size of a flash key drive. 2 models: 512MB for $99 and 1GB for $149.99.
2. The Mac Mini: Small computer. Fits in the palm of your hand. Hook it into your own keyboard and mouse, or Apple's. Comes with Panther and iLife 05. Price point:$499 $599. The Mac mini looks like a 3" tall CD drive. A short cube. All the connections, DVI and VGA.

It looks like all the rumor sites were right, especially ThinkSecret! But where was the upgraded iPod Mini?



Updates from: [MacMerc.com]

For live coverage of MacWorld San Francisco 2005 go to this page on MacNN. The page automatically refreshes every 3 mins.

Up and comers Blue Merle spice their introspective and melodic rock - akin to Coldplay and Gavin DeGraw - with a dollop of Nashville bluegrass. The results are stunning. The iTunes Free Song of the Week, "Every Ship Must Sail Away" is a soft violin and piano track with the contemplative lyrics of love, loss and redemption.

Download this week's FREE song from the iTunes Music Store.

"Between January 3 and January 16, 2005, when you buy more in Amazon's Electronics Store, you will save more on a future purchases." [Via Amazon.com]

• Spend $150 to $249.99 and receive a $15 promotional certificate
• Spend $250 to $499.99 and receive a $30 promotional certificate
• Spend $500 to $999.99 and receive a $70 promotional certificate
• Spend $1,000 or more and receive a $150 promotional certificate

Didn't get what you wanted for Christmas? Get it now.



This promotional certificate combined with Amazon's free super saver shipping is a great deal. Maybe it's time to get all those iPod accessories you always wanted like that iTrip FM transmitter (read review).

What's the occasion? Who knows, but iTunes is offering 13 free songs from Motown records. Just to be clear, these songs aren't classic Motown songs, but the new stuff.



To download the songs, just click on the link below and it will automatically open iTunes for you.



Download the iTunes New Music Sampler



Artists include:

Features, Jamie Cullum, Miri Ben-Ari, Akon, Razorlight, Brian McKnight, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Scissor Sisters, Brie Larson, O'Ryan, Teitur, Michael McDonald, and Le Tigre.

"TiVo Inc. pioneered digital video recording as a new way of watching television - when you want it. Now it could be TV where you want it, too. The long-awaited service feature called TiVoToGo, set to launch Monday, will give users their first taste of TiVo untethered.



No longer confined to TiVo digital video recorders in the living room or bedroom, subscribers will be able to transfer their recorded shows to PCs or laptops and take them on the road - as long as the shows are not specially tagged with copy restrictions. That's also the case for pay-per-view or on-demand movies, and some premium paid programming.



TiVoToGo will be an automatic, free service upgrade for subscribers who own standalone Series2 TiVo DVRs. It will not work for subscribers owning DirecTV-TiVo satellite boxes. Also, the technology will work only with computers based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP or 2000 operating systems, although a version for Macintosh computers is planned, TiVo officials said" [Via ABC 7]



Absolutely unacceptable.



Unbelievable! Have the development team take a field trip to an Apple retail store and then tell me why the finest most powerful Media platform in the computer business is basically being ignored by Tivo. There's no time line or even a suggestion of a release date. Working hard doesn't cut it.



AAC file support was supposedly being worked on hard for over a year now.



Look, the Cable companies are now offering set top boxes for $9.95. Tivo needs all the users it can get and they basically are abandoning the Mac community. All this build up, and it's.... sorry Apple. Windows Media 10? Have a nice day? We're working hard on that...someday. What!!!!



Newsflash: Broadcast networks are using Quicktime as a media standard for delivery to multiple platforms. Hello! You've got to come up with something better than market share BS. Try telling that to BMW & iPod owners.

"Despite suffering through an embarrassing computer crash (BSOD) that prompted jokes and guffaws, Bill Gates promised that Microsoft Corp. would help consumers stay plugged into technology, during a keynote speech Wednesday.

In his seventh annual keynote speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft's chairman explained that the proliferation of high-speed Internet access and the falling price of data storage are compelling people to put music, photos, movies and other aspects of their life into a digital format." [Via canada.com]

Poor little boy blue.



Getting the "Blue Screen of Death" while on stage is nothing new to Bill Gates or the Windows OS! Here's video of him presenting the latest in Microsoft computer crashing technology. Enjoy.

Big chorus, big hook, big words - veteran guitarist Owsley flexes his pop songwriting muscles on the iTunes Single of the Week, "Undone," from his solo album, The Hard Way. Owsley plays guitar in Amy Grant's touring band, but on this track he takes center stage. Layers of guitar blend with Owsley's multi-tracked vocals to create the tune's lush sound. Throw in a catchy hook and Owsley's Grammy-nominated engineering and you'll be "Undone."



Download this week's FREE song from the iTunes Music Store.

If the idea of riding around in a 1980's replica of KITT, the Knight Rider car, makes you tingle, then check out the Knight Replicas website.



Whether it's the patented "river seats" or the funky steering wheel that you're after, this site has it all.



But if you want to pretend you are David Hasselhoff, that's a different story. Go buy a thrift-store leather jacket and two curly brown wigs - one for your head and one for your chest.

"Now you can find out as soon as songs from your favorite recording artists debut on the iTunes Music Store. Sign up for an Artist Alert, a new Music Store service, and Apple will send you an email letting you know when a single or album from an artist whose work you fancy appears on the Store.



You can sign up on Artist pages, album pages, singles pages, and even on Celebrity Playlists. You can even tell them to send you an Artist Alert for every artist included in your purchase history. With new tracks by U2, Vanessa Carlton, Snow Patrol, Def Leppard, Eminem, R.E.M., and Gwen Stefani expected in the coming weeks, what artists would you like Apple to alert you about?" [Via Apple]

"Time Trax Technologies has announced a docking station that give PC users the ability to schedule the recording of broadcasts and to save tracks, including the artist and title information, directly to Apple Computer's iPod. The TimeTrax software embeds the serial number of the receiver into the track information, making it easy to trace the source which is hoped to deter users from posting to peer-to-peer networks." [Via ployer]

Now that portable video players are starting to make a dent in electronics sales, the demand for content is getting stronger. One obvious choice for video content is your DVD collection. But how do you rip a DVD into a video file? A program called Handbrake.

HandBrake is a GPL'd multi-platform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. HandBrake was originally available on the BeOS, but now has been ported over to MacOS X and to GNU/Linux.

Tutorial: How to Rip DVDs into MPEG4

Features:

• Can encode directly from DVDs (even encrypted ones) or from VIDEO_TS folders
• Supports AC3, LPCM and MPEG audio tracks
• Outputs MP4, AVI or OGM files
• Outputs AAC, MP3 or Vorbis audio
• Supports 2-pass encoding
• Supports encoding of two audio tracks
• Includes a bitrate calculator
• Supports picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling

methodshop

Labels: tutorial, video

"TiVo today announced that its new TiVoToGo service enhancement is now available. TiVoToGo allows subscribers to transfer TV shows and movies from their TiVo box to their desktop or laptop computer. TiVo customers will also be able to burn programs to DVD in the near future. TiVoToGo requires TiVo Desktop 2.0, which is currently only available Windows XP and 2000 operating systems. However, TiVo officials said a Mac OS X version is planned. TiVoToGo is available at no extra charge as part of the TiVo service. Standalone TiVo Series2 boxes will automatically receive a software update with TiVoToGo support this week." [Via MacMinute]



No Mac support again? Assholes.

"The holiday season's most popular kid gifts - gadgets like MP3 players and iPods - are about to make the trip from underneath the Christmas tree to the classroom.



That has some school administrators concerned about an onslaught of new distractions, and they urge parents to talk with their children about what's appropriate before the kids head back to class this week.



School officials already are grappling with more students coming to school with cell phones, which can go off in the middle of a math test or swim meet. The digital music players - some of which are smaller than a deck of playing cards and cost up to $500 - are just as easy to hide in a bulky sweater or hooded sweatshirt and can be just as distracting. For young kids, personal video players - about the size of portable CD players - are all the rage and also could show up in classrooms.



Parents need to warn their kids that those expensive gifts are at risk of being stolen or lost at school, said Bloomfield Hills Superintendent Steve Gaynor. But the urge to bring the gadgets may be too great to resist." [Via LSJ.com]



Ahh, the problems of rich children.



Yeah, I remember bringing my $40 cassette walkman to school with "Appetite for Destruction". It didn't even have a rewind button just fast-forward. I'm not sure why 12-year-olds need $500 photo iPods to listen to Avril Lavigne and Clay Aiken durring lunch and recess.

"Here it is: the fruit of all our painstaking research, The Almighty Hangover Emergency Cure. While the ingredients in this kit are based on hard science and not personal mythology, it must be said that there really is no cure for a hangover in the same sense that penicillin is a cure for an infection. There are several things, however, that you can put into your body to ease the pain and assist rapid recovery, including a little-known substance called cysteine. Cysteine directly counteracts the poisonous effects of acetaldehyde. The following arsenal-in-a-milkshake is so loaded with the anti-toxic munitions your body needs, that after it makes short work of your hangover, it might just clear out your nasal passages, shrink your hemorrhoids, and leap out of your body and write your History term paper. Behold the official SoYouWanna.com Almighty Hangover Emergency Cure (patent pending):

1. Take 2 aspirins

2. Take 200mg cysteine (available at specialty food stores)

3. Take 600mg vitamin C

4. Take 1 tablet vitamin B-complex

5. Mix the following ingredients together in a blender:

• 1 banana
• 1 small can V-8
• 6 large strawberries
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1-2 cups milk (or soy milk), to desired consistency
• ¼ tsp. salt
• dash of nutmeg

6. Drink it all up.

If necessary, follow up with a dose of Maalox, lots of Gatorade, and bouillon soup for dinner. These ingredients will rehydrate your body, replace essential vitamins and minerals, and help rid your body of some of the toxic byproducts of metabolized alcohol.

For a headache that drugs don't seem to touch, try an icepack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel, 20 minutes on your head, 10 minutes off. There've been lots of hangover remedies over the centuries, from the Assyrian crushed swallows' beaks with myrrh to Rabbit Dropping Tea (though we think that it tastes a little raisin-y). Friends of ours have suggested everything from club soda to the classic Bull's Eye (OJ and a raw egg) to pickle brine straight from the pickle jar. But if you're looking for something substantial that actually prevents vomiting, invest in the necessary pills and keep your blender handy; the Almighty Hangover Emergency Cure, judiciously combined with the wise drinking practices detailed above, is for you." [Via soyouwanna.com]