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DIY-WEBLOG: Wednesday, March 20, 2002DataPlay disks are supposed to be a new small sized 500 MB disk format that its makers want to push for mobile mp3 playback. The machines were announced last year and are finally set to be available this May. I'd say the odds are heavily against them taking off. First, it's a write-once technology, so it's not too different from CD-R, even if it's much smaller in size. Second, it's "digital rights enabled"-- which means that mp3s check in but they can't check out. I think a better term is "digital rights crippled." Finally, there's no sign of a portable recorder, so it looks like you can only move mp3 files from your PC to DataPlay player. Don't we already have 100 other devices that do that? I'll say it again. For music and recording minidisc is still superior, even if it's 1992 technology. And it took years for MD to get any kind of foothold in the market, and in the US it's still a niche item, though it sells pretty well. Sony made a significant investment in time and resource to keep the format going, and I don't see anything less being necessary to get DataPlay to stick. But even though it holds 5x as much data per disc, it's still not better than MD. I can record an MD at concert or at an interview, I can infinitely rearrange the tracks, edit them or erase the $2 disc and start over. And write-once technology is 1980s-era, really. Good luck DataPlay, I'm betting against ya.
Thursday, March 14, 2002IGN Gear reviews the new Sony NetMD minidisc recorder and the OpenMG software used to transfer music to your MD recorder at high speed. The verdict? The recorder is fine, the software sucks. I'm personally pissed that Sony has disabled the ability to transfer audio recorded direct to MD to your computer in faster than real time. It's a slap in the face to the radio journalists and live music enthusiasts who have kept the format alive and who's main purpose for MD is not listening to mp3s.
Tuesday, March 12, 2002Eli Rosenblatt at Action Figures Sold Separately has put together a nice set of pointers for the DIY electrician: "Install It Right The First Time: Some Guidelines for Electricians, Custom Installers, and Technicians."
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The DIY files is a storehouse of information to help the do-it-yourself media maker. The DIY-blog will feature the newest entries -- news and info for the media DIYer.
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