The 404 1,065: Where it's all in our heads (podcast)
Today's episode of The 404 is a valuable resource for anyone obsessed with headphones -- classic audiophiles, young audiophiliacs, musicians, producers, and casual listeners will all benefit from Steve Guttenberg's knowledge, and he brought a friend! Tyll Hertsens is largely credited for creating the first portable headphone amp and currently the editor-in-chief of InnerFidelity.With Tyll's help, we'll run through the differences between on-ear and in-ear headphones, give credit to two companies responsible for introducing high-quality headphones to the next generation of audiophiles, and we'll even spend a little time dissecting the criteria for what makes a headphone "sound good."You've certainly arrived at the right episode if you're shopping for a new headphone! Tyll, Steve, and I throw out a bunch of recommendations with models ranging in style, design, application, and music genre. As always, you can check out InnerFidelity's Wall of Fame as well as CNET's Best Headphones list to see a roundup of the best in the industry.After the break, Jeff and I are eager to talk about the United States taking credit for the Stuxnet virus. It's all detailed in an upcoming book, "Confront and Conceal: Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power," but today we'll spend some time going over Stuxnet's sticky history and what the evidence means for the future of cyber-warfare. This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,065PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
iTunes vs physical media, and the urge to purge
iTunes vs physical media, and the urge to purge
I own 3,000 CDs and 4,000 LPs. They take up a lot of space in my apartment, and that's OK with me. They're lined up in metal racks, wood shelving, and stacked up in piles on the floor. But a lot of my friends with just a few hundred CDs are in a big hurry to dump them into their computers and get rid of the discs. I just had lunch yesterday with an audiophile friend who is in the midst of transferring all of his CDs as WAV files to his new HD. As always I'm completely out of step with the times. For me, the joy of sauntering over to the wall and scoping the titles to figure out what I'm going to play next is still so satisfying. I stumble upon stuff I haven't played in years, like the other day I popped on "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" and that led to gamelan percussion from Evan Ziporyn, which put me in the mood for Radiohead's "Amnesiac." And so it goes. I like clutter, it seems to spur creativity, but to most folks it looks like a mess. So maybe the whole move to download music and movies is really based on the urge to purge. That at least makes some sense. That's also a big part of the whole iTunes mindset. But for me, scanning playlists just doesn't have the tactile appeal of fingering CDs or LPs. I like sitting there reading the booklet or just staring at the cover. Which sometimes jogs my memories of buying the music in the first place. The funky store in San Francisco where somebody turned me onto Clifford Jordan's jazz, or the time I was walking through Central Park on a misty April morning listening to Copland's "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano" on the radio. The music so perfectly fit the scene I headed straight to the Tower Records store on 66th and Broadway and bought it. And now every time I play that CD it takes me back to the day in Central Park. The CD is a physical connection to that day, and I don't want to give that up.
I own 3,000 CDs and 4,000 LPs. They take up a lot of space in my apartment, and that's OK with me. They're lined up in metal racks, wood shelving, and stacked up in piles on the floor. But a lot of my friends with just a few hundred CDs are in a big hurry to dump them into their computers and get rid of the discs. I just had lunch yesterday with an audiophile friend who is in the midst of transferring all of his CDs as WAV files to his new HD. As always I'm completely out of step with the times. For me, the joy of sauntering over to the wall and scoping the titles to figure out what I'm going to play next is still so satisfying. I stumble upon stuff I haven't played in years, like the other day I popped on "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" and that led to gamelan percussion from Evan Ziporyn, which put me in the mood for Radiohead's "Amnesiac." And so it goes. I like clutter, it seems to spur creativity, but to most folks it looks like a mess. So maybe the whole move to download music and movies is really based on the urge to purge. That at least makes some sense. That's also a big part of the whole iTunes mindset. But for me, scanning playlists just doesn't have the tactile appeal of fingering CDs or LPs. I like sitting there reading the booklet or just staring at the cover. Which sometimes jogs my memories of buying the music in the first place. The funky store in San Francisco where somebody turned me onto Clifford Jordan's jazz, or the time I was walking through Central Park on a misty April morning listening to Copland's "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano" on the radio. The music so perfectly fit the scene I headed straight to the Tower Records store on 66th and Broadway and bought it. And now every time I play that CD it takes me back to the day in Central Park. The CD is a physical connection to that day, and I don't want to give that up.
Apple's iCloud.com goes live ahead of iCloud launch
Apple's iCloud.com goes live ahead of iCloud launch
Ahead of a full release this fall, Apple has pushed the Web front end to iCloud live for developers to kick the tires on.The new site, which resides at iCloud.com, features a similar front-end to Me.com, which will be shuttered next year with Apple's MobileMe service. Visitors can view Web e-mail, manage contacts, view and edit calendar events, and access the Find My iPhone tool. A new entrant to the bunch is a Web app for iWork, which outlines iCloud's file storage for documents created in Apple's Keynote, Pages and Numbers iOS applications.One surprise to come out of the quiet launch is that the log-in screen matches one that leaked out ahead of Apple's official iCloud unveiling at WWDC in June. At the time, Apple made no mention of iCloud having a Web front-end, something the company committed to a few weeks later.9to5mac appears to be the finder of the freshly-launched site. Apple's made no mention of the service on its developer site.Apple's iCloud Web app lineup.CNETiCloud is Apple's upcoming cloud sync service. It succeeds MobileMe, the $99-a-year service Apple introduced three years ago. iCloud ferries files, apps, app data, and media across iOS devices, Macs, and PCs. It also syncs music across devices, though it won't do that for video content.The official end of life for MobileMe and its accompanying Web site is June 30, 2012. Between now and then, Apple has said that MobileMe features that are being shelved will continue to work, even after users transition their accounts to iCloud. That gives users of iWeb, iDisk, and the Apple Gallery service time to transfer their files to other hosting providers before MobileMe permanently goes dark. Apple is rumored to have paid some $4.5 million for the iCloud.com domain back in late-April, well ahead of when it revealed the product name in a press release announcing Apple CEO Steve Jobs as WWDC's keynote speaker. Update at 4:38 p.m. PT: Macrumors spotted Apple now offering up a pre-release version of its iWork software for iOS. The company's also posted a second beta version of iPhoto 9.2, which includes iCloud's Photo Stream feature.
Ahead of a full release this fall, Apple has pushed the Web front end to iCloud live for developers to kick the tires on.The new site, which resides at iCloud.com, features a similar front-end to Me.com, which will be shuttered next year with Apple's MobileMe service. Visitors can view Web e-mail, manage contacts, view and edit calendar events, and access the Find My iPhone tool. A new entrant to the bunch is a Web app for iWork, which outlines iCloud's file storage for documents created in Apple's Keynote, Pages and Numbers iOS applications.One surprise to come out of the quiet launch is that the log-in screen matches one that leaked out ahead of Apple's official iCloud unveiling at WWDC in June. At the time, Apple made no mention of iCloud having a Web front-end, something the company committed to a few weeks later.9to5mac appears to be the finder of the freshly-launched site. Apple's made no mention of the service on its developer site.Apple's iCloud Web app lineup.CNETiCloud is Apple's upcoming cloud sync service. It succeeds MobileMe, the $99-a-year service Apple introduced three years ago. iCloud ferries files, apps, app data, and media across iOS devices, Macs, and PCs. It also syncs music across devices, though it won't do that for video content.The official end of life for MobileMe and its accompanying Web site is June 30, 2012. Between now and then, Apple has said that MobileMe features that are being shelved will continue to work, even after users transition their accounts to iCloud. That gives users of iWeb, iDisk, and the Apple Gallery service time to transfer their files to other hosting providers before MobileMe permanently goes dark. Apple is rumored to have paid some $4.5 million for the iCloud.com domain back in late-April, well ahead of when it revealed the product name in a press release announcing Apple CEO Steve Jobs as WWDC's keynote speaker. Update at 4:38 p.m. PT: Macrumors spotted Apple now offering up a pre-release version of its iWork software for iOS. The company's also posted a second beta version of iPhoto 9.2, which includes iCloud's Photo Stream feature.
Apple's iCloud.com exits beta
Apple's iCloud.com exits beta
Apple today launched its cloud services portal iCloud.com to the public.Previously available only in beta form to developers, the updated site is now available to all iCloud users, allowing them to share content across multiple devices. The site features icons for the Notes and Reminder apps that sync with their iOS and Mac counterparts, as well as Find My Phone and iWork on a Mountain Lion-like background. The site includes a revamped Find My Phone app that features a "lost mode" that allows a user to lock a device if it's lost or stolen and send a contact number to the phone, so that whoever has the device can contact the owner. The new Mail Web app also includes a VIP list feature that sends users an alert when e-mails arrive from their chosen contacts. iCloud replaces MobileMe, a paid cloud sync and storage service plagued by outages that Apple shuttered in June. The new service gives users 5GB for free, though only some files count against that amount. Content such as apps, books, videos, or music purchased from one of Apple's stores and Photo Stream don't count against that limit. However, e-mail, stored documents, settings, app data, and iOS device backups are all counted. When users fill their locker, additional storage capacities of 10GB, 20GB, or 50GB can be purchased for $20, $40, or $100 per year respectively.The new service appears to be off to a rocky start as well. Some iCloud users complained yesterday of being unable to access e-mail, an issue Apple acknowledged but said affected only 1.1 percent of users.
Apple today launched its cloud services portal iCloud.com to the public.Previously available only in beta form to developers, the updated site is now available to all iCloud users, allowing them to share content across multiple devices. The site features icons for the Notes and Reminder apps that sync with their iOS and Mac counterparts, as well as Find My Phone and iWork on a Mountain Lion-like background. The site includes a revamped Find My Phone app that features a "lost mode" that allows a user to lock a device if it's lost or stolen and send a contact number to the phone, so that whoever has the device can contact the owner. The new Mail Web app also includes a VIP list feature that sends users an alert when e-mails arrive from their chosen contacts. iCloud replaces MobileMe, a paid cloud sync and storage service plagued by outages that Apple shuttered in June. The new service gives users 5GB for free, though only some files count against that amount. Content such as apps, books, videos, or music purchased from one of Apple's stores and Photo Stream don't count against that limit. However, e-mail, stored documents, settings, app data, and iOS device backups are all counted. When users fill their locker, additional storage capacities of 10GB, 20GB, or 50GB can be purchased for $20, $40, or $100 per year respectively.The new service appears to be off to a rocky start as well. Some iCloud users complained yesterday of being unable to access e-mail, an issue Apple acknowledged but said affected only 1.1 percent of users.
Apple's iBeacon tech to be used for fun in CES scavenger hunt
Apple's iBeacon tech to be used for fun in CES scavenger hunt
One of the world's biggest tech and gadget parties kicks off next week and organizers are looking to bring some extra fun to the shindig -- a scavenger hunt using Apple's iBeacon location-sensing technology. The idea of the scavenger hunt is to get attendees to explore the event. The way the contest works is attendees download the CES mobile app onto their iOS or Android devices and then work to find iBeacon badges throughout the conference center. The first three players to collect all of the badges will get a prize. This will be one of the first commercial uses of iBeacon to include Android devices."This promotional scavenger hunt demonstrates our commitment to leveraging the latest in emerging technologies, making CES the most interactive and engaging technology event of the year," Consumer Electronics Association's senior vice president of communications and strategic relationships Jeff Joseph said in a statement. "This promotion is a fun and novel way to introduce attendees to iBeacon technology and encourage participants to visit important exhibits across the show floor." For the scavenger hunt, CEA is partnering with Radius Networks, which developed the iBeacon hardware, and Texas Instruments, which created the low-energy Bluetooth technology used by iBeacon. The way iBeacon works is it sends off short-range transmitters that notify mobile devices when they are within 100 feet of a beacon. This type of location sensing technology can be used for indoor navigation, automatic ticketing, and location-relevant promotions."This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on," Radius Networks CEO and cofounder Marc Wallace said. "This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace."
One of the world's biggest tech and gadget parties kicks off next week and organizers are looking to bring some extra fun to the shindig -- a scavenger hunt using Apple's iBeacon location-sensing technology. The idea of the scavenger hunt is to get attendees to explore the event. The way the contest works is attendees download the CES mobile app onto their iOS or Android devices and then work to find iBeacon badges throughout the conference center. The first three players to collect all of the badges will get a prize. This will be one of the first commercial uses of iBeacon to include Android devices."This promotional scavenger hunt demonstrates our commitment to leveraging the latest in emerging technologies, making CES the most interactive and engaging technology event of the year," Consumer Electronics Association's senior vice president of communications and strategic relationships Jeff Joseph said in a statement. "This promotion is a fun and novel way to introduce attendees to iBeacon technology and encourage participants to visit important exhibits across the show floor." For the scavenger hunt, CEA is partnering with Radius Networks, which developed the iBeacon hardware, and Texas Instruments, which created the low-energy Bluetooth technology used by iBeacon. The way iBeacon works is it sends off short-range transmitters that notify mobile devices when they are within 100 feet of a beacon. This type of location sensing technology can be used for indoor navigation, automatic ticketing, and location-relevant promotions."This is one of the coolest proximity-aware apps we have worked on," Radius Networks CEO and cofounder Marc Wallace said. "This is also one of the first, tangible applications that leverages iBeacon technology. And it is a great example of how iBeacon technology is not just about advertising as it is about bringing new and innovative solutions to the marketplace."
Apple's iAds app found to bend App Store rules
Apple's iAds app found to bend App Store rules
Apple is no stranger to posting its own advertising on Apple.com, even grouping together online and TV ads on specially promoted pages. But a new iOS application Apple released yesterday, which showcases third-party ad campaigns as part of its iAd platform, manages to violate the company's own App Store guidelines.As pointed out by Business Insider, the free iAd Gallery app breaks the 13th item in Apple's functionality rules, which stipulates that "apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected." The app itself is made up entirely of advertisements that users can interact with as if they saw them inside of an application. Based on a section in Apple's iAds guidelines, the app could also be considered as violating the rule that says "apps that are designed predominantly for the display of ads will be rejected." In the iAd application's description, Apple positions it as a resource of sorts, giving users a way to "learn about the featured ads, including the advertising agencies behind them." The application also contains some bookmarking and exploration tools that let users save ads they like, and browse campaigns by brand.Still, there's no arguing that the application remains a delivery mechanism for ads that Apple would be unlikely to allow from third parties based on its own rules. Proof enough of that was churned up by Engadget, which had been contacted by the maker of Ads Tube, an application that was designed to collect and organize iAd campaigns for viewing. That app was rejected in June for having "minimal user functionality." Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple's iAd platform was introduced around this time last year as an alternative to third-party mobile-advertising tools provided by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and others. The underlying technology, which had application developers sticking in just a few lines of code to have Apple serve up hand-picked ads in their applications, was built into Apple's iOS 4 and launched with 17 participating brands in July.
Apple is no stranger to posting its own advertising on Apple.com, even grouping together online and TV ads on specially promoted pages. But a new iOS application Apple released yesterday, which showcases third-party ad campaigns as part of its iAd platform, manages to violate the company's own App Store guidelines.As pointed out by Business Insider, the free iAd Gallery app breaks the 13th item in Apple's functionality rules, which stipulates that "apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected." The app itself is made up entirely of advertisements that users can interact with as if they saw them inside of an application. Based on a section in Apple's iAds guidelines, the app could also be considered as violating the rule that says "apps that are designed predominantly for the display of ads will be rejected." In the iAd application's description, Apple positions it as a resource of sorts, giving users a way to "learn about the featured ads, including the advertising agencies behind them." The application also contains some bookmarking and exploration tools that let users save ads they like, and browse campaigns by brand.Still, there's no arguing that the application remains a delivery mechanism for ads that Apple would be unlikely to allow from third parties based on its own rules. Proof enough of that was churned up by Engadget, which had been contacted by the maker of Ads Tube, an application that was designed to collect and organize iAd campaigns for viewing. That app was rejected in June for having "minimal user functionality." Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple's iAd platform was introduced around this time last year as an alternative to third-party mobile-advertising tools provided by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and others. The underlying technology, which had application developers sticking in just a few lines of code to have Apple serve up hand-picked ads in their applications, was built into Apple's iOS 4 and launched with 17 participating brands in July.
Apple's iAd traveling to Japan
Apple's iAd traveling to Japan
Apple's iAd is setting up shop in Japan.Released in the U.S. over the summer, the mobile ad platform will reach iPhone and iPod Touch users in Japan in early 2011, Apple said yesterday.Apple will host, target, and deliver the ads, while Tokyo-based ad agency Dentsu Group will sell and develop them. Dentsu's subsidiary Cyber Communications will handle the specific planning and production of the ads."After an incredibly successful launch in the U.S. where we've already doubled the number of brands on the network, we're excited to bring iAd to Japan," Andy Miller, Apple's vice president of iAd, said in a statement. "Dentsu is one of the world's most prestigious advertising agencies, making them an ideal partner for iAds in Japan."Apple sees iAd as a way for developers of free apps to make some money, giving them 60 percent of the ad revenue. Since its debut, iAd has been limited to the iPhone and iPod Touch. But the upcoming release of iOS 4.2 will bring iAd's mobile ads to the iPad as well.Ads created through iAd appear within an actual app and open up full blown in a window when clicked on, rather than redirecting users to a separate Web page. The first ads via iAd hit the iPhone in the U.S. in early July. One report at the time said that some advertisers paid as much as $1 million for mobile ad space, with early adopters including Walt Disney, AT&T, General Electric, Geico, J.C. Penney, Target, and Best Buy.
Apple's iAd is setting up shop in Japan.Released in the U.S. over the summer, the mobile ad platform will reach iPhone and iPod Touch users in Japan in early 2011, Apple said yesterday.Apple will host, target, and deliver the ads, while Tokyo-based ad agency Dentsu Group will sell and develop them. Dentsu's subsidiary Cyber Communications will handle the specific planning and production of the ads."After an incredibly successful launch in the U.S. where we've already doubled the number of brands on the network, we're excited to bring iAd to Japan," Andy Miller, Apple's vice president of iAd, said in a statement. "Dentsu is one of the world's most prestigious advertising agencies, making them an ideal partner for iAds in Japan."Apple sees iAd as a way for developers of free apps to make some money, giving them 60 percent of the ad revenue. Since its debut, iAd has been limited to the iPhone and iPod Touch. But the upcoming release of iOS 4.2 will bring iAd's mobile ads to the iPad as well.Ads created through iAd appear within an actual app and open up full blown in a window when clicked on, rather than redirecting users to a separate Web page. The first ads via iAd hit the iPhone in the U.S. in early July. One report at the time said that some advertisers paid as much as $1 million for mobile ad space, with early adopters including Walt Disney, AT&T, General Electric, Geico, J.C. Penney, Target, and Best Buy.
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