#drm software

[inkryptvideos]

Mastering Streaming Video Hosting for Beginners

Streaming Video Hosting has become a staple of media consumption, with platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Twitch pushing the boundaries of how and where we watch videos. However, creating a smooth streaming experience requires meticulous attention to various technical and strategic factors. For content creators and streaming services, optimizing video content is crucial for reducing buffering, improving quality, and ensuring user satisfaction. This article explores the key strategies and technologies involved in optimizing video content for seamless streaming.

Understanding the Basics of Streaming Video Hosting

Streaming Video Hosting is the process of transmitting video files from a server to a user's device in real time. The user’s device decodes the data stream and plays the video without fully downloading it. To achieve seamless streaming, videos must be optimized in several ways, starting with compression and formatting.

Video Compression and Codecs

Video compression is essential to reduce the file size without significantly compromising video quality. Effective compression techniques make videos easier to transmit over various internet speeds. Codecs, which stand for "compressor-decompressor", are used to encode and decode digital video. Popular codecs include H.264, HEVC (H.265), and VP9. Each codec varies in terms of compression efficiency and compatibility with devices and browsers.

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABS)

Adaptive Bitrate Streaming is a technique used to adjust the video quality in real time based on the viewer’s available bandwidth. ABS enhances the viewing experience by minimizing buffering and avoiding the degradation of video quality. Major streaming platforms utilize ABS to dynamically serve the best possible video quality at any given time.

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

Content Delivery Networks are another crucial element in optimizing video streaming. CDNs distribute the video content across various servers located in different geographical locations. When a user requests a video, it is served from the nearest server, which reduces latency, decreases buffering times, and improves load speeds.

Best Practices for Video Optimization

Beyond technical adjustments, several best practices can enhance the streaming video hosting experience:

Choose the Right Hosting Solution: Whether it’s a dedicated server, cloud hosting, or a CDN, selecting the right hosting solution based on the audience size and geographical spread is vital.

Opt for Multi-Bitrate Encoding: Offering multiple bitrate options allows the streaming video hosting service to adjust to different internet speeds and device capabilities.

Thoroughly Test Video Quality: Regular testing across different devices and network conditions is essential to ensure consistent video quality and functionality.

Monitor Analytics: Utilize analytics to understand viewer behavior, device usage, and network conditions to continuously refine streaming video hosting strategies.

Optimizing Mobile Streaming

With increasing mobile device usage, optimizing videos for mobile streaming video hosting is crucial. This includes ensuring that videos are encoded in mobile-friendly formats, using responsive design principles, and implementing touch-friendly player controls. Furthermore, considering the use of lighter mobile-specific codecs like VP9 can help in faster loading times and lower data consumption.

Enhancing User Experience (UX)

To ensure a seamless streaming video hosting experience, UX designers and developers should focus on creating an intuitive and engaging interface. Elements such as easy navigation, quick access to video controls, and minimal buffering contribute significantly to user satisfaction. Additionally, including features like video previews, quality selectors, and seamless transitions from one video to another can greatly enhance the viewing experience.

Facing Challenges in Streaming Video Hosting

Content creators and streaming video hosting services often face several challenges such as high bandwidth costs, varied internet speeds among users, and the need for massive scalability during peak times. To address these issues, implementing advanced compression technologies, using efficient transmission protocols, and scaling infrastructure dynamically are vital strategies.

Future Trends in Video Streaming

Looking ahead, emerging technologies such as AI-driven compression, edge computing, and 5G are set to revolutionize the streaming video hosting industry. AI can optimize encoding settings in real time for optimal quality and minimal bandwidth usage. Edge computing will help in processing data closer to the end user, reducing latency significantly. Additionally, the rollout of 5G technology promises substantially higher speeds and more reliable connections, which will further enhance streaming video hosting capabilities.

In conclusion, optimizing video content for seamless streaming video hosting involves a well-rounded approach that includes technical optimizations, strategic planning, and continual adaptation to emerging trends and technologies. By focusing on these aspects, content creators and streaming video hosting platforms can ensure high-quality, buffer-free experiences that meet the evolving demands of modern viewers. please don’t hesitate to contact us via email or phone for further assistance!

[krissiefox]

Every time I see this Xbox everywhere stuff, it does not please me. Reading over this article, it seems that the best case scenario is that Xbox would do what SEGA did and switch to just making games instead of hardware, but even then - it also just feels like they're inventing more and more ways to keep people from owning their games, screwing over people with poor quality or no internet access, making games more and more scammy, and making it even harder to preserve the history of video games. I dislike game pass and I dislike this new direction even more.

[systemdeez]

I just installed Black and White on my PC. Part of the installation process involves giving it a CD key that's printed on the box. Of course, the game is older than I am, so I couldn't buy a physical copy if I wanted to. There's also no official rerelease whatsoever. So I guess I can't install it and play it, woe is me.

Except actually you can just Google "Black and White CD keys" and find one that works? The first result on Google worked for me. Amazing DRM, guys. Here's the key if anyone wants it;

5615-5218520-3198589-3037 

[mlembug]

Not to distract from the point, but car manufacturers do indeed make their stuff as convoluted, as proprietary, and as locked down as possible so the only repair place you can use is their own authorized repair points. And bookstores are selling digital books with intrusive DRM mechanisms so you are not able to read the book in ways they did not authorize.

And they deserve shame too.

all software should be open source wtf. u expect me to run this on my own computer without knowing what its doing???

car manufacturers dont weld the hoods shut to keep ppl from copying their engines. books arent written with a military-grade cipher to avoid plagiarism. and we dont let food have "secret formulas" anymore bc too often one of the "secret ingredients" was fucking lead

when ur distributing a product to the public u forfeit the right to hide whats inside it, u dont get to hand out a black box and expect ppl to just trust u when u totally swear it doesnt have a microphone inside

[arjunvib]

DRM Video Encryption Software or DRM Player to protect your video content

128-bit DRM Video Encryption software with DRM Player which protects your videos & content from unauthorized access. Start your free trail now - iShieldProtect®. Start your free trail now 916400 6065

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Tesla's Dieselgate

Elon Musk lies a lot. He lies about being a “utopian socialist.” He lies about being a “free speech absolutist.” He lies about which companies he founded:

https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-cofounder-martin-eberhard-interview-history-elon-musk-ev-market-2023-2 He lies about being the “chief engineer” of those companies:

https://www.quora.com/Was-Elon-Musk-the-actual-engineer-behind-SpaceX-and-Tesla

He lies about really stupid stuff, like claiming that comsats that share the same spectrum will deliver steady broadband speeds as they add more users who each get a narrower slice of that spectrum:

https://www.eff.org/wp/case-fiber-home-today-why-fiber-superior-medium-21st-century-broadband

The fundamental laws of physics don’t care about this bullshit, but people do. The comsat lie convinced a bunch of people that pulling fiber to all our homes is literally impossible — as though the electrical and phone lines that come to our homes now were installed by an ancient, lost civilization. Pulling new cabling isn’t a mysterious art, like embalming pharaohs. We do it all the time. One of the poorest places in America installed universal fiber with a mule named “Ole Bub”:

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-one-traffic-light-town-with-some-of-the-fastest-internet-in-the-us

Previous tech barons had “reality distortion fields,” but Musk just blithely contradicts himself and pretends he isn’t doing so, like a budget Steve Jobs. There’s an entire site devoted to cataloging Musk’s public lies:

https://elonmusk.today/

But while Musk lacks the charm of earlier Silicon Valley grifters, he’s much better than they ever were at running a long con. For years, he’s been promising “full self driving…next year.”

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/herbies-revenge/#100-billion-here-100-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money

He’s hasn’t delivered, but he keeps claiming he has, making Teslas some of the deadliest cars on the road:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/06/10/tesla-autopilot-crashes-elon-musk/

Tesla is a giant shell-game masquerading as a car company. The important thing about Tesla isn’t its cars, it’s Tesla’s business arrangement, the Tesla-Financial Complex:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/24/no-puedo-pagar-no-pagara/#Rat

Once you start unpacking Tesla’s balance sheets, you start to realize how much the company depends on government subsidies and tax-breaks, combined with selling carbon credits that make huge, planet-destroying SUVs possible, under the pretense that this is somehow good for the environment:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/14/for-sale-green-indulgences/#killer-analogy

But even with all those financial shenanigans, Tesla’s got an absurdly high valuation, soaring at times to 1600x its profitability:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/15/hoover-calling/#intangibles

That valuation represents a bet on Tesla’s ability to extract ever-higher rents from its customers. Take Tesla’s batteries: you pay for the battery when you buy your car, but you don’t own that battery. You have to rent the right to use its full capacity, with Tesla reserving the right to reduce how far you go on a charge based on your willingness to pay:

https://memex.craphound.com/2017/09/10/teslas-demon-haunted-cars-in-irmas-path-get-a-temporary-battery-life-boost/

That’s just one of the many rent-a-features that Tesla drivers have to shell out for. You don’t own your car at all: when you sell it as a used vehicle, Tesla strips out these features you paid for and makes the next driver pay again, reducing the value of your used car and transfering it to Tesla’s shareholders:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21127243/tesla-model-s-autopilot-disabled-remotely-used-car-update

To maintain this rent-extraction racket, Tesla uses DRM that makes it a felony to alter your own car’s software without Tesla’s permission. This is the root of all autoenshittification:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

This is technofeudalism. Whereas capitalists seek profits (income from selling things), feudalists seek rents (income from owning the things other people use). If Telsa were a capitalist enterprise, then entrepreneurs could enter the market and sell mods that let you unlock the functionality in your own car:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/06/11/1-in-3/#boost-50

But because Tesla is a feudal enterprise, capitalists must first secure permission from the fief, Elon Musk, who decides which companies are allowed to compete with him, and how.

Once a company owns the right to decide which software you can run, there’s no limit to the ways it can extract rent from you. Blocking you from changing your device’s software lets a company run overt scams on you. For example, they can block you from getting your car independently repaired with third-party parts.

But they can also screw you in sneaky ways. Once a device has DRM on it, Section 1201 of the DMCA makes it a felony to bypass that DRM, even for legitimate purposes. That means that your DRM-locked device can spy on you, and because no one is allowed to explore how that surveillance works, the manufacturer can be incredibly sloppy with all the personal info they gather:

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/29/tesla-model-3-keeps-data-like-crash-videos-location-phone-contacts.html

All kinds of hidden anti-features can lurk in your DRM-locked car, protected from discovery, analysis and criticism by the illegality of bypassing the DRM. For example, Teslas have a hidden feature that lets them lock out their owners and summon a repo man to drive them away if you have a dispute about a late payment:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

DRM is a gun on the mantlepiece in Act I, and by Act III, it goes off, revealing some kind of ugly and often dangerous scam. Remember Dieselgate? Volkswagen created a line of demon-haunted cars: if they thought they were being scrutinized (by regulators measuring their emissions), they switched into a mode that traded performance for low emissions. But when they believed themselves to be unobserved, they reversed this, emitting deadly levels of NOX but delivering superior mileage.

The conversion of the VW diesel fleet into mobile gas-chambers wouldn’t have been possible without DRM. DRM adds a layer of serious criminal jeopardy to anyone attempting to reverse-engineer and study any device, from a phone to a car. DRM let Apple claim to be a champion of its users’ privacy even as it spied on them from asshole to appetite:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

Now, Tesla is having its own Dieselgate scandal. A stunning investigation by Steve Stecklow and Norihiko Shirouzu for Reuters reveals how Tesla was able to create its own demon-haunted car, which systematically deceived drivers about its driving range, and the increasingly desperate measures the company turned to as customers discovered the ruse:

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-batteries-range/

The root of the deception is very simple: Tesla mis-sells its cars by falsely claiming ranges that those cars can’t attain. Every person who ever bought a Tesla was defrauded.

But this fraud would be easy to detect. If you bought a Tesla rated for 353 miles on a charge, but the dashboard range predictor told you that your fully charged car could only go 150 miles, you’d immediately figure something was up. So your Telsa tells another lie: the range predictor tells you that you can go 353 miles.

But again, if the car continued to tell you it has 203 miles of range when it was about to run out of charge, you’d figure something was up pretty quick — like, the first time your car ran out of battery while the dashboard cheerily informed you that you had 203 miles of range left.

So Teslas tell a third lie: when the battery charge reached about 50%, the fake range is replaced with the real one. That way, drivers aren’t getting mass-stranded by the roadside, and the scam can continue.

But there’s a new problem: drivers whose cars are rated for 353 miles but can’t go anything like that far on a full charge naturally assume that something is wrong with their cars, so they start calling Tesla service and asking to have the car checked over.

This creates a problem for Tesla: those service calls can cost the company $1,000, and of course, there’s nothing wrong with the car. It’s performing exactly as designed. So Tesla created its boldest fraud yet: a boiler-room full of anti-salespeople charged with convincing people that their cars weren’t broken.

This new unit — the “diversion team” — was headquartered in a Nevada satellite office, which was equipped with a metal xylophone that would be rung in triumph every time a Tesla owner was successfully conned into thinking that their car wasn’t defrauding them.

When a Tesla owner called this boiler room, the diverter would run remote diagnostics on their car, then pronounce it fine, and chide the driver for having energy-hungry driving habits (shades of Steve Jobs’s “You’re holding it wrong”):

https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/

The drivers who called the Diversion Team weren’t just lied to, they were also punished. The Tesla app was silently altered so that anyone who filed a complaint about their car’s range was no longer able to book a service appointment for any reason. If their car malfunctioned, they’d have to request a callback, which could take several days.

Meanwhile, the diverters on the diversion team were instructed not to inform drivers if the remote diagnostics they performed detected any other defects in the cars.

The diversion team had a 750 complaint/week quota: to juke this stat, diverters would close the case for any driver who failed to answer the phone when they were eventually called back. The center received 2,000+ calls every week. Diverters were ordered to keep calls to five minutes or less.

Eventually, diverters were ordered to cease performing any remote diagnostics on drivers’ cars: a source told Reuters that “Thousands of customers were told there is nothing wrong with their car” without any diagnostics being performed.

Predicting EV range is an inexact science as many factors can affect battery life, notably whether a journey is uphill or downhill. Every EV automaker has to come up with a figure that represents some kind of best guess under a mix of conditions. But while other manufacturers err on the side of caution, Tesla has the most inaccurate mileage estimates in the industry, double the industry average.

Other countries’ regulators have taken note. In Korea, Tesla was fined millions and Elon Musk was personally required to state that he had deceived Tesla buyers. The Korean regulator found that the true range of Teslas under normal winter conditions was less than half of the claimed range.

Now, many companies have been run by malignant narcissists who lied compulsively — think of Thomas Edison, archnemesis of Nikola Tesla himself. The difference here isn’t merely that Musk is a deeply unfit monster of a human being — but rather, that DRM allows him to defraud his customers behind a state-enforced opaque veil. The digital computers at the heart of a Tesla aren’t just demons haunting the car, changing its performance based on whether it believes it is being observed — they also allow Musk to invoke the power of the US government to felonize anyone who tries to peer into the black box where he commits his frauds.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

This Sunday (July 30) at 1530h, I’m appearing on a panel at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, CA, to discuss the wonderful, award-winning “Ghost Post” Haunted Mansion project I worked on for Disney Imagineering.

Image ID [A scene out of an 11th century tome on demon-summoning called 'Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae sistematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros. Anno 1057. Noli me tangere.' It depicts a demon tormenting two unlucky would-be demon-summoners who have dug up a grave in a graveyard. One summoner is held aloft by his hair, screaming; the other screams from inside the grave he is digging up. The scene has been altered to remove the demon's prominent, urinating penis, to add in a Tesla supercharger, and a red Tesla Model S nosing into the scene.]

Image: Steve Jurvetson (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tesla_Model_S_Indoors.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

[mckitterick]

Copyright law: making personal copies of copyrighted work

image sourced from a Cory Doctorow article on DMCA: X (recommended reading)

creating a digital backup (legally, it's called making an "archival copy") of software is explicitly allowed. but copying or alerting books, music, vehicle operating systems, movies, shows, and so on - even those you’ve legally purchased - gets complicated due to overlapping laws

under the doctrine of "fair use," we are permitted to make backup / archival copies under certain conditions:

copyright law allows you to make copies for personal use in case the original is lost, damaged, or destroyed; or to change formats to use on new devices; or to otherwise alter or repair the original for your own personal use

all this falls within fair use

however, making a copy of copyrighted work simply for your own ease of use could be construed as copyright infringement

furthermore, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) restricts this by prohibiting "circumvention of encryption" on devices like DVDs and Blu-rays

the DMCA criminalizes making and disseminating technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works (aka "digital rights management" locks or DRM), and in fact criminalizes the act of circumventing access controls, whether or not doing so infringes on the copyright of the work itself

so, unless the original work you buy is unlocked, corporations that hold the copyright of that work can prosecute you for making legal archives of the material you own

and if the thing you bought is lost or damaged, or if the file format is no longer usable? you're just out of luck

DMCA needs to go

[tetrafelino]

The author and publisher have provided this blog to you without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices. This blog is for your personal use only. You may not print or post this blog, or make this blog publicly available in any way. You may not copy, reproduce, or upload this blog, other than to read it on one of your personal devices.

[inkryptvideos]

Top Trends in Cloud Video Platform You Can't Ignore

In recent years, the rise of cloud video platform has fundamentally reshaped the media landscape. These platforms not only enable the storage and management of video content in the cloud but also enhance the way content is created, distributed, and consumed. As technology advances, the impact of cloud video platform is increasingly profound, influencing everything from production strategies to consumer behavior. This shift allows for more efficient collaboration among creators, greater accessibility for audiences, and innovative monetization models. In this article, we will explore five key ways in which cloud video platform are changing the media landscape, highlighting their transformative role in modern media.

1. Democratization of Content Creation

One of the most significant impacts of cloud video platform is the democratization of content creation. Traditionally, the production of high-quality video content was restricted to professionals with access to expensive equipment and sophisticated software. However, cloud-based tools have lowered these barriers, enabling amateur filmmakers, small businesses, and individuals to produce and share content that meets professional standards. Platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok provide users with easy-to-use editing tools and vast distribution networks, making it easier than ever to reach a global audience. This transformation is empowering a new generation of creators and innovators.

2. Enhanced Collaboration and Workflow Efficiency

Cloud video platform have revolutionized the workflow associated with video production. With cloud-based collaboration tools, teams can work together seamlessly regardless of their geographic locations. Editors, producers, and other stakeholders can access, edit, and review video content in real time, speeding up the production process and reducing costs associated with traditional video editing workflows. This shift not only enhances workflow efficiency but also allows for more flexible and responsive content creation. Production teams can quickly respond to changes in viewer preferences or breaking news, adapting their content accordingly. Additionally, these platforms facilitate better communication and coordination among team members, further streamlining the production process and ensuring higher-quality outcomes.

3. Scalable Distribution and Accessibility

Cloud video platform facilitate a scalable distribution model that was unimaginable a few decades ago. Content creators can effortlessly upload their videos to the cloud, where they become instantly available to a global audience. This accessibility has transformed how media is distributed, making regional shows available internationally and enabling niche content producers to find their audiences. Moreover, cloud platforms can dynamically adjust the quality of streaming content based on the viewer’s internet speed, ensuring an optimal viewing experience across different devices and connection types. This ability to seamlessly distribute and optimize content has revolutionized the media industry, allowing for unprecedented reach and engagement with diverse audiences worldwide.

4. Advanced Monetization Opportunities

The evolution of cloud video platform has also opened up new monetization strategies. Beyond traditional advertisement revenues, content creators can now leverage subscription models, pay-per-view options, and premium memberships. Platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans allow creators to offer exclusive content through subscription models, creating a steady income stream. Additionally, the data collected through these platforms provides valuable insights into viewer preferences, enabling targeted marketing and personalized content suggestions that enhance monetization opportunities. This data-driven approach allows creators to refine their content, attract more viewers, and increase their revenue potential. By understanding their audience better, creators can tailor their offerings to meet specific demands, ensuring sustained engagement and profitability.

5. Revolutionary Impact on Traditional Media Industries

Finally, cloud video platform have had a revolutionary impact on traditional media industries. Television networks and movie studios increasingly use cloud technology to compete with digital-first entities. They are not only shifting their content to on-demand cloud platforms but are also utilizing cloud technology to streamline production, manage assets, and harness data analytics to gauge audience engagement. The cloud has enabled traditional media to adapt to the digital age, offering content that is more aligned with contemporary viewers’ demands for flexibility and immediacy. This transformation allows traditional media companies to stay relevant and competitive, ensuring they meet the evolving expectations of their audiences in an increasingly digital world.

Conclusion

Cloud video platform have revolutionized the workflow associated with video production. With cloud-based collaboration tools, teams can work together seamlessly regardless of their geographic locations. Editors, producers, and other stakeholders can access, edit, and review video content in real time, speeding up the production process and reducing costs associated with traditional video editing workflows. This shift not only enhances workflow efficiency but also allows for more flexible and responsive content creation. Production teams can quickly respond to changes in viewer preferences or breaking news, adapting their content accordingly. In summary, cloud video platform are shaping the future of media through the democratization of content creation, enhanced collaboration, scalable distribution, advanced monetization opportunities, and significant impacts on traditional media. As these platforms evolve, they continue to enable more innovative, efficient, and personalized content creation and distribution methods, ensuring that the media landscape remains in a constant state of flux and growth. As we look to the future, the influence of cloud video technologies on media production and consumption is set to increase, continuing to transform how we interact with video content in our daily lives. please don’t hesitate to contact us via email or phone for further assistance!

[imsobadatnicknames2]

Tbh i feel like nfts really exposed the absurdity of IP or copyright being applied to the net, like it's just a complete blind spot of how computers and well the net works which is just wireless communication of data be it text,image,video,code, or programs that can be copied endlessly or at least long enough where the average person doesn't have to worry about it, like people can add as many protections as they want but they can all be circumvented with (in nfts case) a simple right click and save as and u got a copy of that image in general media,tools to crack copy protection in terms of software DRM have been around for years (of course some is harder than others but people have done that in the past, so i don't see how someone couldn't in the present with enough know how or time) it's like people taking a old tool to a completely new situation that it just won't work completely or in the ways people want.

100% agreed like. I've said it a couple times before, trying to enforce copyright in a digital environment where things can be endlessly replicated and copied with no physical production cost is essentially trying to artifically impose scarcity in an environment where by definition it can't exist. NFTs were the most blatant attempt at it (i.e. not even trying to pretend that they were anything but an attempt to create artificial scarcity) and they were rightfully mocked to hell and back for it. I just wish people were able to extrapolate the same contempt to other forms of attempted digital landlordism.

[krissiefox]

DRM-Free version of Doom 2016 (or Doom 4 as I called it) just dropped! You can get the game and soundtrack together for 8 bucks til 05/02/2025 16:00 EEST!

[probablyasocialecologist]

Amazon’s recent decision to stop allowing people to download copies of their Kindle e-books to a computer has vindicated some of my longstanding beliefs about digital media. Specifically, that it doesn’t exist and you don’t own it unless you can copy and access it without being connected to the internet. The recent move by the megacorp and its shiny-headed billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos is another large brick in the digital wall that tech companies have been building for years to separate consumers from the things they buy—or from their perspective, obtain “licenses” to. Starting Wednesday, Kindle users will no longer be able to download purchased books to a computer, where they can more easily be freed of DRM restrictions and copied to e-reader devices via USB. You can still send ebooks to other devices over WiFi for now, but the message the company is sending is one tech companies have been telegraphing for years: You don’t “own” anything digital, even if you paid us for it. The Kindle terms of service now say this, explicitly. “Kindle Content is licensed, not sold, to you,” meaning you don’t “buy a book,” you obtain a “digital content license.”

[...]

Amazon is far from alone in this long-running trend towards eliminating digital ownership. For many people, digital distribution and streaming services have already practically ended the concept of owning and controlling your own media files. Spotify is now almost synonymous with music for some younger generations, having strip-mined the music industry from both ends by demonetizing more than 60% of the artists on its platform and pushing algorithmic slop while­ simultaneously raising subscription fees.  Of course, surrendering this control means being at the complete mercy of Amazon and other platforms to determine what we can watch, read, and listen to—and we’ve already seen that these services frequently remove content for all sorts of reasons. Last October, one year after the Israeli military began its campaign of genocide in Gaza, Netflix removed “Palestinian Stories,” a collection of 19 films featuring Palestinian filmmakers and characters, saying it declined to renew its distribution license. Amazon also once famously deleted copies of 1984 off of people’s Kindles. Fearing piracy, many software companies have moved from the days of “Don’t Copy That Floppy” to the cloud-based software-as-a-service model, which requires an internet connection and charges users monthly subscription fees to use apps like Photoshop. No matter how you look at it, digital platforms have put us on a path to losing control of any media that we can’t physically touch. How did we get here? 

28 February 2025

[arjunvib]

DRM Video Encryption Software or DRM Player to protect your video content

DRM video encryption software - Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a process that secures digital content such as video to prevent unauthorized use and piracy of copyrighted material. Accessing the content requires authentication of both the user and the period of time requested.

Our iShieldProtect® content security solutions provide security to your digital content to avoid piracy and illegal usage.

iShieldProtect® offers 128-bit DRM video encryption software with DRM Player which protects your videos and content from unauthorized access. 

Dissuading from Camera recording - Dynamic watermarks are displayed at different parts of video at random intervals with different information like Name, User ID, IP Address to dissuade students from camera capture.

Tamper proof license Based Security - License key will work only on a single machine identified on the basis of multiple parameters to ensure its uniqueness so that same license can never ever be used on 2 machines installed using cloning software. 

Start your free trial now 9164006065 

[ms-demeanor]

One thing that I keep seeing whenever I make posts that are critical of macs is folks in the notes going "they make great computers for the money if you just buy used/refurbs - everyone knows not to buy new" and A) no they don't know that, most people go looking for a new computer unless they have already exhausted the new options in their budget and B) no they don't make great computers for the money, and being used doesn't do anything to make them easier to work on or repair or upgrade.

Here's a breakdown of the anti-consumer, anti-repair features recently introduced in macbooks. If you don't want to watch the video, here's how it's summed up:

In the end the Macbook Pro is a laptop with a soldered-on SSD and RAM, a battery secured with glue, not screws, a keyboard held in with rivets, a display and lid angle sensor no third party can replace without apple. But it has modular ports so I guess that’s something. But I don’t think it’s worthy of IFixIt’s four out of ten reparability score because if it breaks you have to face apple’s repair cost; with no repair competition they can charge whatever they like. You either front the cost, or toss the laptop, leaving me wondering “who really owns this computer?”

Apple doesn't make great computers for the money because they are doing everything possible to make sure that you don't actually own your computer, you just lease the hardware from apple and they determine how long it is allowed to function.

The lid angle sensor discussed in this video replaces a much simpler sensor that has been used in laptops for twenty years AND calibrating the sensor after a repair requires access to proprietary apple software that isn't accessible to either users or third party repair shops. There's no reason for this software not to be included as a diagnostic tool on your computer except that Apple doesn't want users working on apple computers. If your screen breaks, or if the fragile cable that is part of the sensor wears down, your only option to fix this computer is to pay apple.

How long does apple plan to support this hardware? What if you pay $3k for a computer today and it breaks in 7 years - will they still calibrate the replacement screen for you or will they tell you it's time for new hardware EVEN THOUGH YOU COULD HAVE ATTAINED FUNCTIONAL HARDWARE THAT WILL WORK IF APPLE'S SOFTWARE TELLS IT TO?

Look at this article talking about "how long" apple supports various types of hardware. It coos over the fact that a 2013 MacBook Air could be getting updates to this day. That's the longest example in this article, and that's *hardware* support, not the life cycle of the operating system. That is dogshit. That is straight-up dogshit.

Apple computers are DRM locked in a way that windows machines only wish they could pull off, and the apple-only chips are a part of that. They want an entirely walled garden so they can entirely control your interactions with the computer that they own and you're just renting.

Even if they made the best hardware in the world that would last a thousand years and gave you flowers on your birthday it wouldn't matter because modern apple computers don't ever actually belong to apple customers, at the end of the day they belong to apple, and that's on purpose.

This is hardware as a service. This is John Deere. This is subscription access to the things you buy, and if it isn't exactly that right at this moment, that is where things have been heading ever since they realized it was possible to exert a control that granular over their users.

With all sympathy to people who are forced to use them, Fuck Apple I Hope That They Fall Into The Ocean And Are Hidden Away From The Honest Light Of The Sun For Their Crimes.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Thinking the unthinkable

On SEPTEMBER 24th, I'll be speaking IN PERSON at the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Time and again, I find myself thinking about radium suppositories: specifically, I get to thinking about the day that the consensus shifted from "radium suppositories are great" to "stop putting radioisotopes up your ass."

The thing is, people really liked radium-based quack remedies. They drank radium-infused water, smeared radium cream on their faces and bodies, and yes, rammed radium suppositories up their assholes:

https://maximumfun.org/episodes/sawbones/radium-girls/

The fact that this made whatever ailed you sicker didn't deter the radium true believers: if you're getting sicker, then you must need more radium.

When I think about the debate over radium, I imagine that the people who understood that radium was really bad for you must have run up against critics who told them they were being unreasonable. "You can't tell people to stop using radium. Tell them to use suppositories with less radium. Tell them to use them less frequently. But you can't just tell people, 'stop putting radium up your asshole.' They won't take you seriously."

About 20 years ago, I started pitching various institutions that reviewed consumer tech policy on the idea that they should reject any product that had DRM. After all, DRM didn't just restrict how you used a gadget today, it provided a facility for nonconsensually, irreversibly field-updating that gadget to add new restrictions tomorrow. How could a reviewer in good conscience say, "Go ahead and buy this device if you need this feature," if they knew that at any time in the future, the gadget's maker could take that feature away and leave the buyer with no recourse?

Here's the warning I (half-seriously) suggested magazines run alongside such products:

WARNING: THIS DEVICE’S FEATURES ARE SUBJECT TO REVOCATION WITHOUT NOTICE, ACCORDING TO TERMS SET OUT IN SECRET NEGOTIATIONS. YOUR INVESTMENT IS CONTINGENT ON THE GOODWILL OF THE WORLD’S MOST PARANOID, TECHNOPHOBIC ENTERTAINMENT EXECS. THIS DEVICE AND DEVICES LIKE IT ARE TYPICALLY USED TO CHARGE YOU FOR THINGS YOU USED TO GET FOR FREE — BE SURE TO FACTOR IN THE PRICE OF BUYING ALL YOUR MEDIA OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS ANY ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY GOTTEN A SWEET DEAL LIKE THIS FROM THE ELECTRONICS PEOPLE, BUT THIS TIME THEY’RE GETTING A TOTAL WALK. HERE, PUT THIS IN YOUR MOUTH, IT’LL MUFFLE YOUR WHIMPERS.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/08/playstationed/#tyler-james-hill

No one took me up on my offer. Over and over again, magazine editors, managers of nonprofit review outlets, and indie gadget reviewers told me that it was unrealistic to publish a roundup of, say, this year's portable music players with the recommendation, "Just don't buy any of these. None of them are fit for purpose."

In other words: No one wanted to publish, "The correct amount of radium to stuff up your asshole is zero."

But the correct amount of rectal radium for you to administer is "none" and the correct car for you to buy today is none of the cars:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/

This isn't the first time the correct automotive recommendation was "don't buy any of these cars." Back before seatbelts came standard in cars, the correct car was "don't buy a car." Sometimes, the correct answer is "none of the above." Even if that makes you sound unserious, the alternative is that you counsel people to put radium up their asses in a bid to seem "reasonable."

Today, DRM-infected products are routinely downgraded and bricked:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/5/24236237/ftc-software-tethering-letter-consumer-reports-ifixit

Even when companies face public uproar over these disastrous decisions and vow to reverse them, they can't, because these downgrades are one way:

https://www.stereocheck.com/news/music/unfortunately-you-cant-revert-to-the-old-sonos-app-anymore/

That's bad enough when it's your smart speakers, but what about when the company bricks your wheelchair:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/when-drm-comes-your-wheelchair

Or your $100,000 exoskeleton:

https://paulickreport.com/news/people/paralyzed-jockey-michael-straight-wants-to-keep-walking-but-manufacturer-wont-repair-exoskeleton

The reality is that we're living at the end of a catastrophic experiment in deregulation and its handmaidens, corruption and regulatory capture, and there are lots of "normal" things that we just need to stop doing. Not do less of them – just stop.

Like, the correct amount of collusion between realtors representing sellers and realtors representing buyers is zero:

https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2024-03-19/realtor-rules-just-changed-dramatically-heres-what-buyers-and-sellers-can-expect

We got that one right, but there's plenty more that we're still engaged in this pathetic, denialist bargaining over. What's the correct degree to which White House officials should cycle back into working at the industries they oversaw? Zero. How many times should such a person come back to work at the White House? Again: zero:

https://prospect.org/power/2024-09-19-next-administration-can-stop-ethics-scandals/

When the Biden admin dropped its executive order on ethics just hours after the inauguration, they trumpeted that it "went further than any other towards slowing the revolving door and limiting conflicts of interest while in office":

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-ethics-commitments-by-executive-branch-personnel/

And it did. But it was also full of loopholes, because banning these conflicts of interest altogether was viewed as politically unserious, so the correct amount of radium up the administration's asshole was set at non-zero. The result? Well, it's about what you'd expect:

https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/what-the-hell-is-anita-dunn-even-allowed-to-work-on/

Congress hasn't updated consumer privacy law since 1988, when it took the bold step of…banning video-store clerks from telling the newspapers which VHS cassettes you took home. Since then, a coalition of commercial surveillance companies and the cops and spies who treat their data-lakes as massive, off-the-books anaerobic lagoons of warrantless surveillance data has prevented the passage of any new privacy protections for Americans.

The result? Stalkers, creeps, spies (both governmental and corporate), identity thieves, spearphishers and other villainous scum are running wild, endangering every American's financial, physical and political wellbeing. The correct amount of commercial data-brokerage for America is zero:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/06/privacy-first/#but-not-just-privacy

In other words, we should order every data-broker, every tech giant, every consumer electronics company and app vendor to delete all their surveillance data. All of it. The correct amount of radium in that asshole is – as with every other orifice zero:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/07/revealed-preferences/#extinguish-v-improve

From the perspective of the radium pitchmen, the most shocking thing about the past four years has been antitrust enforcers – like Lina Khan, Rohit Chopra, and Jonathan Kanter – who refused to bargain about how much radium we needed to stick up our butts. Fearless of being branded as "unserious" and "unreasonable," they seriously, reasonably said the right amount is none, actually.

None. Which is why they're so mad at Khan and co. Which is why they're so bent on getting Kamala Harris to fire Khan – despite the fact that this would burn precious political capital in the senate. Some people just love the feeling they get from a radium suppository – especially the suppository salesmen:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-09-19-lina-khan-doesnt-need-to-be-confirmed-again/

The paperback edition of The Lost Cause, my nationally bestselling, hopeful solarpunk novel is out this month!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/19/just-stop-putting-that-up-your-ass/#harm-reduction/a>

Image: Museum of the Health Sciences https://www.uab.edu/amhs/

[elbiotipo]

Seriously, it's absolutely insane to me that everyone just kinda accepted Steam as an intermediary between you and your games without question. I trust any Russian hacker more than a live-service software that has access to my computer and could, if they wanted, take away all my games (in fact, a bunch of my friends got hacked and it's not fun). I can only abide by the GOG model where your game is yours after buying (or physical disks/cartridges).

What's this "uh oh yeah I'm going to willingly install DRM software on my computer and let it access everything, I'm going to make it the only way to install mods and updates" deranged idea. Did everyone go crazy while I was on the seas or something.