Yesterday, RTE debuted the beta version of their online video catchup service, their own version of the BBC iPlayer and first impressions are good. The RTE player makes more than 200 hours of RTE programming available including news, sport, current affairs, movies and entertainment programmes. It’s got a slick Flash interface and with very low waiting times while seeking within programmes. Well Done RTE.
Recent Posts
The Susan Boyle effect
In case you were on Jupiter, you should probably watch this uplifting performance from Susan Boyle which aired on Britain’s Got Talent last week. Susan admits she has “never been kissed” before she belts out I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. This is essential viewing which exploded virally across the globe since appearing on TV. The Youtube video currently has 32 million views.
The digital music store price war begins..
The biggest story in digital music last week concerned the advent of the MP3 price wars. Apple announced a new pricing system for iTunes worldwide which would change the standard €0.99 per song to a new three-tiered system. Under the change which came about under the pressure of major record labels, the Irish iTunes Store (and the country’s most popular digital music service) now sells songs at €0.69, €0.99 and €1.29, the latter now applied to popular acts like Lady Gaga, The Script and Beyoncé. It has been indicated that the €0.69 price tier will apply to the majority of older back catalogue music in the store.
While it currently makes little sense to charge more for music in times of recession and in a time when a LOT of people get their music illegally, Apple has also said that more tracks will be available at the €0.69 than €1.29 in the long-term and tracks are now sensibly DRM-free, meaning you can play them on any computer or device without restriction.
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Linkage: 10 Extraordinary Twitter Updates
10 Extraordinary Twitter Updates
Mashable highlight ten life-changing tweets including a marriage proposal and breaking news stories.
http://tinyurl.com/tweetten
Cassette Art
Not sure what to do with those cassette tapes you thought were the future? Turn them into art of course!
http://tinyurl.com/cassetteart
Musicians take note!
This is how you simultaneously impress media when sending in CDs and demos. Unless they confuse the technique for a kidnapping, then you’re in trouble.
http://tinyurl.com/weirddemo
Sites of the Week: Posterous, The Comic Cast & Hunch
1. Posterous
It’s been called the simplest blogging platform yet. Posterous uses email to post thoughts, photos, documents, MP3s and documents to your own site.
http://posterous.com
2. The Comic Cast
Two Irish comic book nerds Craig O’Connor and Liam Geraghty discuss their favourite subject with Irish comic creators and illustrators every fortnight.
http://thecomiccast.wordpress.com
3. Hunch
Hunch is a decision-making site that gets smarter the more you use it. After asking you 10 questions or fewer, Hunch will propose a customised result for hundreds of decisions like: What kind of car should I drive or where should I go on holidays?
http://www.hunch.com
Band of Blogs: The Big Pink, Theophilius London, Bat for Lashes
1. The Big Pink
Continuing the nu-gaze revival are this Brit pair whose sheets of sound are infected with a modern electronic touch. Check out their single Velvet on 4AD or go see them playing Crawdaddy this Saturday.
http://myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink
2. Theophilus London
Theo’s trying to confuse us. He’s not from LDN, he’s from Brooklyn. His excellent This Charming Mixtape mixes Whitney Huston, Kraftwerk and Bill Withers into a future hip-hop concoction but doesn’t feature any songs from The Smiths. Ask him why he’s messing with us in the flesh when he plays Twisted Pepper, Dublin on Saturday and The Pavilion, Cork tonight.
http://myspace.com/londonwave
3. Bat for Lashes remixes
Two Suns continues to receive critical adoration but single ‘Daniel’ is chalking up some fine remixes on the sideline.
http://tinyurl.com/BFLremix
4. The Hundred in the Hands
Infectious debut single ‘Dressed in Dresden’ does the stomping electro-indie-pop thing wonderfully so expect to hear more of this Brooklyn band.
http://myspace.com/thehundredinthehands
Videos: South Park do Kanye, Devo, Eminem and a trip to the Moon
South Park targets Kanye
“Do you like Fish Sticks?”. It’s a question that may haunt Kanye West after South Park targeted his ego and self-evident genius in an episode last week. Kanye responded with uncharacteristic humility.
Devo return
The oddball ’80s rockers return with a ninth album and a really rather catchy single called ‘Don’t Shoot’ complete with this excellent video.
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Wolverine film hijacked
It wasn’t an April fools joke. The fourth installment in the X-Men series – X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman was leaked onto the internet via BitTorrent networks in a DVD-quality, full-length and unfinished state last Wednesday, a full month before official release.
The leaked version is said to be a rough cut of the film with missing special effects, temporary music and sound. A slideshow of images from the movie shows scenes lacking full CGI, action sequences with stunt ropes and green screens clearly visible. (more…)
