Gather ’round, children, and let me tell you a story about the old bugaboo we used to call DRM. Digital Rights Management was the beast under every gamer’s bed in the mid-2000s, an invisible bit of software baked into game discs that dictated and tracked player behavior under the guise of preventing piracy. DRM software, like SecuROM, limited the times a game could be downloaded and forced players to regularly connect to the internet for authentication checks, at a time when less than half of American adults had reliable broadband connections. DRM features soured the releases of BioShock, Mass Effect and Spore, and by 2010, anti-piracy software had rendered Assassin’s Creed 2 and Splinter-Cell: Conviction unplayable. When Microsoft attempted to release the Xbox One with always-on DRM features in 2013, intense vitriol from fans forced the company to reverse its plans at the 11th hour. There were lawsuits. DRM was a curse word. Meanwhile, Valve was building out Steam. When it landed in 2003, the digital PC storefront was designed to streamline the patch process for games like Counter-Strike and make it easier for Valve to implement anti-piracy and anti-cheat measures. Steam was made to be a DRM machine. In 2004, with the release of Half-Life 2, Valve made Steam a requirement for every player, and even those who’d purchased new, physical copies of the game had to boot up the launcher first. There was some low-level grumbling, but PC players were used to being lab rats, and... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-04 16:30:21 UTC ]
Libraries should be a safe, accessible space for everyone. So why are there police in libraries, compromising this very safety? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-02 11:35:00 UTC ]
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It's now that much easier to use Arturia's softsynths on your brand new MacBook. Arturia has released a free V Collection 8.2 update that adds native support to the (currently discounted) suite for Macs with M1 processors. That should improve performance, as you might guess, but it could also... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-11-25 15:00:35 UTC ]
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Going to bookstores and libraries as a bookworm offer important experiences, but what buying books in an airport can offer may surprise you. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-23 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Nancy Pearl, possibly America’s best-known librarian and recommender of books, shares her thoughts on choosing what to read, and when to stop reading. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-11-16 23:20:31 UTC ]
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The realities -- the good, the challenging, and the great -- of going fine-free in libraries from a public librarian. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-15 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Sony and Microsoft have had a year to address supply shortages and improve game libraries for their new consoles. Here's how they stack up. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2021-11-12 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Those who have been paying attention to local education news and the critical race theory debate know that many school districts are battling over what materials can be kept in libraries and taught in classrooms. The battle is making its way to the courts: just this week a PEN America report... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-11 17:33:10 UTC ]
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The National Literacy Trust (NLT) is partnering with Penguin Random House (PRH) to form a national alliance addressing "the chronic lack" of investment in primary school libraries in the UK. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-02 10:42:55 UTC ]
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Lots of good bookish things happened this week, including research that proves libraries lead to healthier, more equitable communities. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-29 10:42:00 UTC ]
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It turns out ghosts like their books just as much as the living! Learn all about the most haunted bookstores and libraries in the US and abroad... if you dare. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-29 10:36:00 UTC ]
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The latest augmented and virtual reality technology will be brought to 15 libraries across the country next summer, as part of a new project to help support libraries recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-25 11:42:41 UTC ]
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The publisher's pro-rated terms and its temporary story time permissions will now run through March, 31, 2022, as the pandemic continues to impact schools and libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries Connected held its first ever awards this week, to recognise and celebrate the achievements of library staff over the past year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-20 05:39:05 UTC ]
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It’s now more apparent than ever that security is a critical aspect of IT infrastructure, and that devastating data breaches can occur from simple network line hacks. As shown in this book, combining the latest version of Python with an increased focus on network security can help you to level... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2021-10-13 17:39:30 UTC ]
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Google says it will phase out its use of Material Design interface elements within its iOS apps in favor of Apple’s own UIKit. Jeff Verkoeyen, the company's iOS design chief, announced the change in a Twitter thread spotted by The Verge.This year my team shifted the open source Material... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-10-12 17:16:51 UTC ]
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People assume everyone who works at a library is a librarian, but most of the staff you’ll interact with at large libraries aren't librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-11 10:30:00 UTC ]
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The installation marks the 20th anniversary of the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2021-10-07 15:35:52 UTC ]
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Up to 200 U.S. libraries of all types will be selected to receive $10,000 grants to support, restore, and sustain their core activities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The pilot project between Emerald and the Council of Prairie and Pacific Libraries opens research to Indigenous communities in Canada. The post Canada’s Indigenous Communities to Benefit from Emerald Pilot Project appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-23 14:14:30 UTC ]
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Novelists Nadia Hashimi and Helen Benedict join hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss the mistakes American writers and culture made in depicting the United States’ wars Iraq and Afghanistan. In the wake of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and President Biden’s decision to pull US... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-23 08:49:21 UTC ]
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