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 ]
On Monday, just days after the publisher's controversial embargo on new release e-books in libraries went into effect, Macmillan CEO John Sargent met with a group of state librarians, fleshing out his belief that new release e-books in libraries hurt the publisher's revenues. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, is leading a campaign calling for politicians to make local libraries a big election issue. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-05 17:51:40 UTC ]
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The bullpen of the 1993 San Diego Padres Citrus County Commission (pictured above) has denied funding to county libraries for digital subscriptions to the New York Times. Led by left-handed middle-reliever area man Scott Carnahan, the commission (comprised of Scott, Jeff, Ron, Jimmie, and Brian)... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-05 16:08:55 UTC ]
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This collection of 59 thoughtful and charming quotes about libraries and librarians will lift and inspire you to grab your library card. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-04 11:35:52 UTC ]
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Get involved in the Great School Libraries campaign to promote an essential service in UK schools. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-01 10:34:56 UTC ]
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Macmillan's embargo on new ebooks impacts public libraries, now scrambling to make materials available to patrons. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-11-01 10:32:08 UTC ]
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Among the week's headlines: Macmillan CEO John Sargent writes to librarians; more libraries announce boycotts of Macmillan e-books as the publisher's embargo begins; and why being a whistleblower doesn't pay. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A group of US libraries plan to boycott Macmillan over its controversial new e-book lending policy, suspending purchases of digital copies from the publisher. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-01 03:15:48 UTC ]
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The Summer Scares program, connecting libraries with great horror reads, is back for another spooky season! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-31 14:15:05 UTC ]
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Take a peek at the most popular books in libraries during the third quarter of 2019, courtesy of Panorama Picks. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-30 10:35:21 UTC ]
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You might not have to scramble to find pictures for your next company presentation. Microsoft Word and PowerPoint now have direct access to Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries that store everything from company logos to font styles. In other words, you... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2019-10-28 13:00:00 UTC ]
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A curious account popped up in my Instagram feed this past August that put my ideas about the limits of lending libraries to the test. The account, @tlacuilobiblioteca, which advertises itself as a public lending library, announced a slate of obscure titles in Spanish and English up for grabs in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-28 08:47:50 UTC ]
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Two American librarians reflect on their experience working with their colleagues in the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Congress has launched an inquiry into digital markets competitions as the row over e-book lending to libraries in the United States continues. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-24 13:43:25 UTC ]
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Libraries are not the kinds of institutions that social scientists, policy makers, and community leaders usually bring up when they discuss social capital and how to build it. Since Tocqueville, most leading thinkers about social and civic life have extolled the value of voluntary associations... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-24 08:47:39 UTC ]
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Children's novelist Michael Rosen has written an open letter calling for libraries to be made compulsory in schools, backed by ringfenced government money to support libraries and the training of librarians. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-22 10:47:59 UTC ]
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Having visited 112 libraries in six different countries and many different settings, one reader has a few observations of note. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-17 10:36:23 UTC ]
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Libraries Connected has launched a programme of activities and partnerships as part of the BBC’s The Novels That Shaped Our World festival. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-10 15:45:24 UTC ]
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Libraries are awesome, don't you agree? Looking up library services, beyond the books, here are seven cool library initiatives I found and love. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-10-08 10:36:16 UTC ]
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Libraries Week kicks off today with a focus on what the nation’s libraries are doing with digital technology. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-06 18:00:32 UTC ]
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